Plasma-activated chemical vapor deposition of bismuth-substituted iron garnets for magneto-optical data storage

Polycrystalline garnet thin films were obtained on glass substrates by plasma-activated chemical vapor deposition followed by annealing at 670°C. The single mixed precursor approach was used to achieve vaporization and transport of low-vapor-pressure powdered metalorganic precursors to a plasma reactor. Bi, Ga-substituted dysprosium iron garnet film showed a square Faraday hysteresis loop with a rotation of ~2 deg/μm at 633 nm wavelength and low surface roughness of ~2 nm, which are favorable properties for high-density magneto-optical data storage