Structural and magnetic properties of cerium-doped yttrium-iron garnet thin films prepared on different substrates using the sol-gel process

The cerium-substituted yttrium-iron garnet (Ce-YIG) Ce_xY_3-xFe₅O₁₂ is considered as a promising material for applications in high-performance magnetic and magneto-optic devices. In this work cerium-substituted yttrium-iron garnet films were produced on fused silica and Si(100) substrates using the sol-gel technique from solutions with the yttrium/cerium molar ratio 2.8/0.2. A heat treatment was applied to those as-deposited garnet films at temperatures ranging from 800 °C to 1000 °C for 2 h in air. The as-deposited garnet films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate their structural properties. A vibrating-sample magnetometer was used at room temperature to characterize the magnetic properties of the as-deposited garnet thin films.