Origin of Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in Yttrium Iron Garnet Thin Films Grown on Si (100)

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic properties of YIG thin films grown on Si substrates, revealing the origin of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and its dependence on film thickness, with implications for cost-effective magnetic device fabrication.

Contribution

It identifies the texture and lattice distortion as the origins of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in YIG films on Si, advancing understanding of magnetic anisotropy in thin films.

Findings

Perpendicular magnetic easy axis achieved up to 50 nm thickness

Perpendicular anisotropy decreases with increasing film thickness

Texture and lattice distortion contribute to PMA in YIG films

Abstract

We report the magnetic properties of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition technique. The films were deposited on Si (100) substrates in the range of 15-50 nm thickness. Magnetic characterizations were investigated by ferromagnetic resonance spectra. Perpendicular magnetic easy axis was achieved up to 50 nm thickness. We observed that the perpendicular anisotropy values decreased by increasing the film thickness. The origin of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) was attributed to the texture and the lattice distortion in the YIG thin films. We anticipate that perpendicularly magnetized YIG thin films on Si substrates pave the way for a cheaper and compatible fabrication process.