Morphological, structural and magnetic evolution of sputtered Fe70Ga30 thin films upon annealing in oxygen atmosphere
We report on the evolution of uncapped Fe_(70)Ga_(30) layers deposited by sputtering and post-growth annealed in oxygen atmosphere in a temperature range from 500 °C to 800 °C. We have investigated the morphology, structure and magnetic properties of films with a thickness of 200 nm deposited on Mo...
| Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2017 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) |
| Repository: | Docta Complutense |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/18060 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/18060 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | 538.9 Sol-gel GaFeO_3 Física de materiales Física del estado sólido 2211 Física del Estado Sólido |
| Summary: | We report on the evolution of uncapped Fe_(70)Ga_(30) layers deposited by sputtering and post-growth annealed in oxygen atmosphere in a temperature range from 500 °C to 800 °C. We have investigated the morphology, structure and magnetic properties of films with a thickness of 200 nm deposited on Mo buffer layers on glass substrates. X-ray diffractometry shows a decrease of the lattice parameter up to 600 °C whereas a further increase of the temperature up to 800 °C promotes the transformation to Fe_2O_3. We have observed by x-ray absorption fine structure the partial oxidation of Ga and the formation of Ga aggregates at 600 °C. These aggregates form Ga-rich bubbles that can be observed on the sample surface from which Ga evaporates leaving a Ga-poor layer that is later oxidized into Fe_2O_3. The thermal treatment on oxygen atmosphere has also a clear impact on the magnetic properties of the layers. The uniaxial in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the as-grown film evolves to magnetic isotropy when annealed at 600 °C probably due to the segregation and formation of Ga-rich areas. After Ga evaporates from the sample, Fe is fully oxidized and only a weak ferromagnetism related to Fe_2O_3 is detected. |
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