Influences of sputtering gas pressure and gas flow rate on microwave characteristics of FeCoAlO thin films

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 519; no. 23; pp. 8292 - 8295
• Main Authors: Xu, Feng, Xie, Qiyun, Phuoc, Nyugen Nyugen, Li, Shandong, Ong, Chong Kim
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30.09.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Gas flow; Gas pressure; Magnetic permeability; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of monolayers and thin films; Magnetic properties of surface, thin films and multilayers; Mathematical analysis; Microwave; Microwaves; Permeability spectra; Physics; Spectra; Sputtering; Thin film; Thin films; Microwave; Permeability spectra; Sputtering; Thin film; Microwave radiation; Line widths; Magnetic hysteresis; Thin films; Aluminium Iron Cobalt Oxides Mixed; Anisotropy; Magnetic permeability; Resonance frequency; Stress effects; Sputter deposition; High frequency; Landau Lifshitz equation
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2011.03.077

In this work, the influences of sputtering gas pressure and gas flow rate on the microwave characteristics of FeCoAlO thin films are investigated. All the high-frequency permeability spectra are discussed based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. Although no obvious dependences on the pressure can be identified from the static magnetic hysteresis loops, the parameters obtained from the permeability spectra show strong dependences on the sputtering gas pressure. At 2 mTorr, the lowest damping factor and the highest anisotropy field are located. With the increase of gas flow rate, the resonance frequency decreases and frequency linewidth increases. Discussions infer that these dependences should be ascribed to the inner stress of the sputtered film which is influenced by the sputtering gas conditions.