Room temperature multiferroism in polycrystalline thin films of gallium ferrite

We have synthesized (010) textured polycrystalline thin films of gallium ferrite (GaFeO3 or GFO) on n-Si(100) and Pt/Si(111) substrates using sol-gel assisted spin coating technique. Structural characterization using x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirms formation of single phase with cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of alloys and compounds 2017-10, Vol.721, p.593-599
Main Authors: Mishra, Monali, Roy, Amritendu, Garg, Ashish, Gupta, Rajeev, Mukherjee, Somdutta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical compounds
Coercivity
Diffraction
Ferrimagnetism
Ferrites
Ferroelectric domains
Ferroelectric materials
Ferroelectricity
Gallium
Hysteresis loops
Magnetic properties
Multiferroics
Polycrystalline thin films
Polycrystals
Raman spectroscopy
Room temperature
Silicon substrates
Sol-gel processes
Spectrum analysis
Spin coating
Structural analysis
Substrates
Switching
Thin films
Transition temperature
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Summary:We have synthesized (010) textured polycrystalline thin films of gallium ferrite (GaFeO3 or GFO) on n-Si(100) and Pt/Si(111) substrates using sol-gel assisted spin coating technique. Structural characterization using x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirms formation of single phase with crystallite size ∼37–47 nm. Magnetic characterization demonstrates saturated magnetic hysteresis loop at room temperature and indicates that due to reduced crystallite size, ferri to paramagnetic transition temperature, TC ∼300 K is higher compared to bulk GFO, reported earlier. Room temperature piezo-response force microscopic analysis reveals local ∼180° phase switching of ferroelectric domains at very high coercive field, ∼700 kV/cm, consistent with recent experimental and first-principles studies. Our study opens up the possibility of integrating polycrystalline GFO in novel room temperature multiferroic devices. •Thin films of GaFeO3 is grown on n-Si and Pt/Si by spin coating technique.•Films are single phase with (010) out of plane orientation.•Saturated loops with weak magnetization is observed at room temperature.•Piezo-domains show ∼180° phase reversal upon switching voltage at room temperature.•Films show room temperature ferroelectricity and ferrimagnetism i.e. multiferroism.
ISSN:0925-8388
1873-4669
DOI:10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.05.268