Controlled growth of epitaxial BiFeO3 films using self-assembled BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 multiferroic heterostructures as a template
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The growth mechanism of a BiFeO3 layer deposited on self assembled (0.65) BiFeO3-(0.35) CoFe2O4 (BFO-CFO) composite thin films was studied. Epitaxial and self-assembled BFO-CFO thin films were deposited on SrTiO3 (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition and were subsequently used as a seed layer for the deposition of an additional BFO layer. x-ray line scans showed the heterostructures were highly epitaxial. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam images revealed the top BFO layer grew preferentially from BFO nanopillars in the BFO-CFO thin films, thus, demonstrating controlled growth. The multiferroic properties of this new nanostructure were then studied. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4734508]