Nanoscale ferromagnetic chromium oxide film from gas-phase nanocluster deposition

Ferromagnetic film of densely packing chromium oxide nanoparticles has been fabricated by vacuum deposition of chromium oxide clusters at room temperature. The clusters were generated with a magnetron plasma gas aggregation source by introducing a mixture of argon and oxygen as buffer gas. A magnetic hysteresis loop similar to that of bulk CrO2 was observed in a wide temperature range. The rise in the ferromagnetic property of the film was attributed to the nanoscale CrO2 composition. The work demonstrates a simple way to fabricate ferromagnetic films of chromium oxide nanoparticles under high-vacuum compatible low temperature condition. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.