Title: Growth, characterisation, and properties of Bi_1.8Lu_1.2Fe_3.6Al_1.4O₁₂ garnet films prepared using two different substrate temperatures

Authors: Mohammad Nur-E-Alam; Mikhail Vasiliev; Kamal Alameh

Addresses: Electron Science Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia ' Electron Science Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia ' Electron Science Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia

Abstract: We prepare highly Bismuth substituted iron garnet of composition type Bi_1.8Lu_1.2Fe_3.6Al_1.4O₁₂ by using low and high substrate temperatures (250°C and 680°C) during the deposition process inside the vacuum chamber of RF magnetron sputtering system. The crystallisation process of this garnet type thin film materials are performed by means of optimised high temperature oven annealing process and conduct several characterisation techniques to obtain and evaluate their properties. All the optimally annealed samples possess very promising and attractive properties. Comparatively low coercive force (below 15 Oe) is achieved in garnet films prepared at high substrate temperature of 680°C, simultaneously with high MO quality and almost in-plane magnetisation direction, which are the properties desired in various MO sensing, switching and imaging applications.

Keywords: magneto-optical garnet; garnet thin films; amorphous; annealing; hysteresis loop; substrate temperature; magneto-optical domain patterns; magneto-optical figure of merit; optical absorption; Faraday rotation; bismuth; iron garnet; lutetium; aluminium.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMATEI.2014.064275

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation, 2014 Vol.5 No.3, pp.172 - 181

Received: 18 Jan 2013
Accepted: 31 Aug 2013
Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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