Stabilization of scandium rich spinel ferrite CoFe2−xScxO4 (x≤1) in thin films

Abstract Scandium rich cobalt ferrites Co y Fe 3− x − y Sc x O 4 with y ~1 never obtained in bulk could be stabilized in pulsed laser deposited thin films. Scandium contents of up to x =1 are reached. The cell parameter increases versus x as awaited when considering the size of scandium. It is equal to 0.8620 nm for x =1, significantly higher than that of CoFe 2 O 4 (0.8396 nm). The lattice mismatch between the MgO (100) substrate and the scandium-containing spinel leads to an increased roughness. Cobalt is displaced from the octahedral site by Sc and mainly occupies the tetrahedral sites for high x values.