Influence of deposition conditions on the structural and magnetic properties of YIG thin films

Yttrium iron garnet (Y₃Fe₅O₁₂, YIG) is one of the most important ferrimagnetic oxides owing to its low magnetic losses, high Curie temperature, excellent chemical stability, and superior microwave characteristics. These properties make YIG an attractive material for microwave components, magnetic sensors, spin-wave devices, and emerging spin-based technologies. However, obtaining phase-pure and highly crystalline YIG thin films on silicon remains challenging because of the large lattice mismatch and differences in thermal expansion between the film and substrate. In the present investigation, nanocrystalline YIG thin films were deposited on Si substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The PLD targets were prepared from citrate combustion-derived YIG powders followed by optimized calcination and sintering to obtain dense ceramic targets suitable for laser ablation. Thin-film growth was performed at substrate temperatures between 500 and 600 °C under high-vacuum conditions, followed by in situ annealing at 700 °C to promote crystallization and phase development. The deposited films, with thicknesses in the range of approximately 70–140 nm, were characterized by X-ray diffraction to examine crystal structure and phase formation. The influence of deposition parameters on structural quality was systematically investigated. Magnetic measurements were carried out to evaluate the room-temperature magnetic behaviour of the YIG nanolayers and to establish correlations between crystallinity and magnetic response. The optimized deposition conditions produced well-crystallized ferrimagnetic YIG films with improved magnetic characteristics, demonstrating the importance of post-deposition thermal treatment in achieving high-quality garnet nanolayers. The present study highlights an effective approach for fabricating crystalline YIG nanolayers on silicon using PLD and provides useful insights into the relationship between processing conditions, crystal structure, and magnetic properties. These results are expected to contribute to the development of silicon-compatible magnetic oxide thin films for future microwave, magnonic, and spintronic applications.

Dr. Mukesh Chandra Dimri is an Assistant Professor (Senior Grade) in the Department of Physics at Jaypee University of Engineering and Technology, Guna, India. He received his M.Tech. and Ph.D. from IIT Delhi and pursued postdoctoral research at Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea, and the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Estonia. His research interests include magnetic nanomaterials, ferrites, garnet thin films, and spintronic materials. He has published over 40 SCI-indexed research papers and is actively involved in externally funded research projects and national and international collaborations.