Abstract
NiFe2O3 and NiOFe1.925Sm0.075O3 thin films were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering on oxidized silicon and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) substrates. Both the films were found to crystallize in inverse spinel structure after the annealing was carried out at 1073 K for two hours. Small hysteresis was observed in both the films at 300 K as well as 1.8 K. The magnetoelectric coefficient alpha(E) is seen to have the largest value at 500 Oe and is 4.07 and 3.57 mV cm(-1) Oe(-1) in NiOFe1.925Sm0.075O3-PZT and NiOFe2O3-PZT composite films, respectively. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3360350]