Annealing behavior of neon-implanted magnetic garnet

Abstract

Ferromagnetic resonance spectra and x-ray rocking curves were used to measure the change in magnetic properties and strain with annealing temperature in the surface layer of (111)-oriented Gd, Tm, Ga substituted yttrium iron garnet films implanted with Ne+ at 190 keV. For doses below about 4×10^14 ions/cm^2, the entire implanted layer remains crystalline and magnetic. The implantation-induced strain decreases monotonically with increasing annealing temperature, falling to zero at a temperature of 1100 °C. The implantation-induced magnetic anisotropy varies with strain in the same manner as for unannealed material until the annealing temperature reaches 800 °C. For higher temperatures, the anisotropy has a value larger than that expected for unannealed material. At a higher dose, 5×10^14 ions/cm^2, the center of the implanted region is both amorphous and nonferrimagnetic. Single-crystal order and ferrimagnetism return with annealing near 500 °C. The magnetization and exchange constant decrease with increasing dose, and annealing at 1100 °C restores them to bulk values.