Date of Graduation
Spring 2023
Degree
Master of Science in Materials Science
Department
Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science
Committee Chair
Kartik Ghosh
Abstract
In recent years, magnetic thin films have gained significant attention in the field of spintronics, which is a branch of electronics that utilizes the spin of electrons in addition to their charge. The applications in the spintronic sector rely on the magnetic properties of the thin films. To address this, Ni (FM)/NiO (AFM) thin films on single crystalline sapphire and lithium niobate substrates have been investigated using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique prior to hydrogen-reduction annealing to explore new functionalities. The manufactured films were extensively analyzed by state-of-the-art characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflectometry (XRR) show the structural fingerprint with deposited film thickness which is related with laser shots. The morphological analysis performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows the single crystalline nature of the film through revealing dotted electron diffraction pattern. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data provides the surface properties of the films along with the oxidation states of Ni and O. The Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) study reveals the magnetic nature of the Ni/NiO film which is further supported by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) data. Finally, static magnetization data confirm the ferromagnetism at room temperature in both Ni and Ni-NiO composite thin films. In both cases, tunable magnetic properties have been achieved, which can be a great deal in spintronic device applications such as magnetic switching sensor. This research work explicitly explains each step from synthesis method to each characterization with extensive analysis.
Keywords
nickel-nickel oxide, sapphire, lithium niobate, epitaxial thin film, pulsed laser deposition, gilbert damping parameter, gyromagnetic ratio, dynamic and static magnetization
Subject Categories
Condensed Matter Physics
Copyright
© Md Shaihan Bin Iqbal
Recommended Citation
Iqbal, Md Shaihan Bin, "Structural and Magnetic Study of Epitaxial Ni/NiO Thin Films on Various Single Crystalline Substrates Using Pulsed Laser Deposition" (2023). MSU Graduate Theses. 3850.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3850
