Investigation of Magnetic and Electrical Properties of GdFeO₃/Fe₉₇Si₃ Bilayer Thin Films

Bilayer thin films of GdFeO₃/Fe₉₇Si₃ have been synthesized by RF–magnetron sputtering at different thicknesses of GdFeO₃. A pure phase polycrystalline growth of GdFeO₃ and Fe₉₇Si₃ has been confirmed by XRD measurements. Stress-induced room-temperature magnetocrystalline anisotropy has been confirmed in all the bilayer thin films. A high magnetic moment has been induced in antiferromagnetic GdFeO₃ thin films resulting in the ferromagnetic character of all the samples. The ferromagnetic moment was found to be enhanced with increasing thickness of the GdFeO₃ layer. The maximum value of the room- temperature magnetic moment has been observed as M_s ~ 9.3 emu/ml in 170-nm-thick GdFeO₃ film. Dielectric measurements confirmed the induced magnetocapacitance due to grain boundary accumulation of charge carriers. Magnetic field control of capacitance and current–voltage measurements of these thin films represents a strong potential for the existence of magnetoelectric coupling in GdFeO₃/Fe₉₇Si₃ films. A maximum 30% rise in magnetocapacitance and a 95.6% increase in tunneling current in an applied 1-kOe magnetic field was obtained for 170-nm-thick GFO thin film. These thin films possess applications in spintronic devices due to the presence of room- temperature magnetocrystalline anisotropy and magnetic control of the electric properties.