Effect of Ar/O2 ratio on structure and cationic distribution of Mn1.56Co0.96Ni0.48O4±δ spinel films

Mn1.56Co0.96Ni0.48O4±δ spinel oxide thin films have been prepared on thermally oxidized Si (100) substrates by firstly sputtering a Mn-Co-Ni alloy target under different oxygen partial pressures and then annealing at 750 °C in air. The results show that the film crystallinity is improved and the cationic distribution is varied by the increase of the oxygen partial pressures: Co2+ increases with the decrease of Co3+ and Mn4+ increases with the decrease of Mn2+ and Mn3+ ion.