The Structure and Magnetic Properties of Mn-Zn Ferrite Thin Films Fabricated by Electroless Plating in Aqueous Solution

Mn 1-x Zn x Fe 2 O 4 thin films with various Zn contents, 300 nm in thickness, were synthesized on glass substrates directly by electroless plating in aqueous solution at 90°C without a heat treatment. With XRD, SEM, VSM, the crystallographic structure, morphology of the films and the macroscopic magnetic properties were characterized. The Mn-Zn ferrite films have a single phase spinel structure and well-crystallized columnar grains grow perpendicularly to the substrate. The change of the coercivity is not consistent with that of the bulk materials. As the Zn content in the films increases, the value of He decreases firstly, and then increases. At x=0.5, the minimum value of He is 3.7 kA/m and the value of M s is 419.6 kA/m. The hyperfine magnetic fields, cation occupations and the distribution of the magnetic moments in film plane were studied by the conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy (CEMS).