A Conversion Electron Mössbauer Spectral Study of Dy₃Fe₅O₁₂ Thin Films

Abstract

Thin films of the garnet, Dy3Fe5O12, have been sputtered on quartz plates using both a ceramic target of powdered Dy3Fe5 O12 and a metallic target of Dy and Fe. In the latter case, the metallic DyFe thin film has subsequently been oxidized at temperatures between 1173 and 1373 K. The x-ray diffraction patterns and conversion electron Mössbauer spectra, CEMS, of the thin films prepared from the ceramic target show only the garnet phase, whereas those of the thin films prepared from the metallic target show the garnet phase and two impurity phases, Fe2O3 and DyFeO3. The CEMS of the ceramic target thin films indicate that the iron magnetic moments are not oriented along the [111] axis, as is usually observed in bulk materials, but are compatible with moments oriented along the [211] axis. Further, the relative areas of the six lines of the five component Sextets used to model the spectra reveal that the hyperfine fields are rotated by 34° from the normal to the thin films. In contrast, the relative areas of the Dy3Fe5O12 spectrum in the metallic target films reveal that the hyperfine fields are rotated by 60° from the normal to the thin films. Hence, the orientation of the iron moments is influenced by the film preparation route.

Department(s)

Chemistry

Keywords and Phrases

Dysprosium Alloys; Film Preparation; Garnets; Magnetic Moments; Magnetooptical Effects; Mathematical Models; Mössbauer Spectroscopy; Oxidation; Sputter Deposition; X Ray Diffraction Analysis; Conversion Electron Mössbauer Spectra (CEMS); Magnetic Thin Films; Magneto-optical Materials; Sputtered Thin Films

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0018-9464

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2002 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

07 Aug 2002

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