Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Magneto-Optical Ce:YIG Thin Films

Abstract

AbstractThe deposition technologies of rare-earth substituted yttrium iron garnet (RE:YIG) thin films with a large Faraday rotation and their applications are briefly overviewed. Highly cerium substituted YIG films were successfully deposited on (111) GGG, (211) GGG, (100) MgO, and MgO buffered GaAs and InP substrates by single-liquid-source metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Ce-YIG thin films can be epitaxially grown on lattice matched GGG substrates at a temperature as low as 600°C. They have excellent optical and magnetic properties along with high Faraday rotations. The films deposited on single crystal (100) MgO substrates are polycrystalline and have good magnetic properties. Sputter deposited MgO buffer layer was demonstrated for preventing the decomposition and chemical reaction of GaAs and LnP substrates resulting in successful deposition of YIG films on GaAs and InP substrates at a substrate temperature of 550°C. The films grown on MgO buffered GaAs substrates possessed good magnetic properties.