Chromium dioxide is an important material for spintronic applications at room temperature due to its ferromagnetic half-metallicity (transport spin polarization of ~100%) and a relatively high Curie temperature of ~ 400 K.

Films were grown on Al₂O₃ (0001) by atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition in a wide range of deposition temperatures and oxygen flowrates. The fact that the films are grown on lattice mismatched substrates leads to film strain which induces defects and polycrystalline growth. In particular, a buffer layer of (antiferromagnetic insulator) Cr₂O₃ develops at the CrO₂/Al₂O₃ interface.

Here we use high resolution X-ray diffraction methods to study the crystalline (epitaxial) quality, lattice parameters, orientation relations, strain gradient, thickness and roughness of the layers. These measurements are complemented by concentration depth profiling using ion beam analysis to follow the composition through the layer structure. The results will be correlated with electrical transport and spin polarization data reported elsewhere.

• Legal notice:
  

  Copyright (c) Pielaszek Research, all rights reserved.
  The above materials, including auxiliary resources, are subject to Publisher's copyright and the Author(s) intellectual rights. Without limiting Author(s) rights under respective Copyright Transfer Agreement, no part of the above documents may be reproduced without the express written permission of Pielaszek Research, the Publisher. Express permission from the Author(s) is required to use the above materials for academic purposes, such as lectures or scientific presentations.
  In every case, proper references including Author(s) name(s) and URL of this webpage: https://science24.com/paper/19221 must be provided.

1. Anomalous behavior of Fe₃O₄ films on Si(100)
2. A new chemical route to synthesise TM-doped (TM = Co, Fe) TiO₂ nanoparticles
3. Co-doped TiO₂ films grown on Al₂O₃ (0001) by laser ablation
4. Structure and magnetic properties of C/FePt granular multilayers prepared by ion-beam sputtering