Abstract

Mn Zn ferrite films deposited on (100) MgO substrates by rf sputtering technique with different thicknesses ? in the range of 30-450 nm were studied. AFM images show grain size increase as film thickness increases. Grains with diameters between L ? 70 and 700 nm were observed. The mono and multidomain regime in MnZn ferrite films and their effect on the pinning energy of domain walls are observed via Magneto-optical Kerr Effect, MOKE. At ?, ? 300 nm, the coercive field, H c, reaches a maximum value of 80 Oe. This result indicates the existence of a multidomain regime associated to a critical grain size, L c. We used the Jiles-Atherton model (JAM) to discuss the experimental hysteresis loops. The k pinning parameter obtained from JAM shows a maximum value of k/? o = 67 Am 2 for grains with L c ? 529 nm. The total energy per unit area E was correlated with k and D. We found a simple phenomenological relationship given by E ? kD; where D is the magnetic domain width. © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.