Magnetite (Fe 3 O 4) is predicted to be half metallic at room temperature (RT) and it shows the highest Curie temperature among oxides. The use of Fe 3 O 4 thin films is therefore promising for spintronic devices such as magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) and magnetoresistive sensors. The structural, magnetic and magnetotransport properties of magnetite are reported to be strongly dependent on the growth conditions. We have developed a very simple deposition chamber for growing thin magnetite films via a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process based on the Fe 3 (CO) 12 carbonyl precursor. The structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of the as deposited Fe 3 O 4 films have been investigated by means of time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, atomic force microscopy, conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy and superconducting …