Correlation of grain boundary nature with magnetization in RF-sputtered lithium-zinc ferrite thin films

A significant advance in the understanding of grain boundary contribution to magnetization in nanocrystalline ferrite thin films is demonstrated in this paper. RF-sputtered, room-temperature-deposited lithium-zinc ferrite thin films (Li0.5−x/2ZnxMn0.1Fe2.35−x/2O4, with x=0.0, 0.16, 0.32 and 0.48) have been thermally annealed ex-situ at 850 °C and the in-plane magnetic measurements have been performed using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The percentage deviation between bulk and film magnetization (δM) is observed to decrease with increasing Zn concentration, till x=0.32, and then it increases. Macro-texture measurements using X-ray orientation distribution function and micro-texture measurements using orientation imaging microscopy show reverse trend in the extent of crystallographic texturing and in the computed fraction of low-angle grain boundaries. This study brings out a correlation between low-angle grain boundary concentration and δM.