Growth and characterization of Pt-protected Gd{sub 5}Si{sub 4} thin films

Journal Article · Wed May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4865322· OSTI ID:22273832

Jiles, D. C. ^[1]; Mudryk, Y.; Prost, T. E. ^[2]; Pecharsky, V. K.; Gschneidner, K. A. ^[2]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)
2. Materials and Engineering Physics Program, Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

Successful growth and characterization of thin films of giant magnetocaloric Gd{sub 5}(Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1−x}){sub 4} were reported in the literature with limited success. The inherent difficulty in producing this complex material makes it difficult to characterize all the phases present in the thin films of this material. Therefore, thin film of binary compound of Gd{sub 5}Si{sub 4} was deposited by pulsed laser deposition. It was then covered with platinum on the top of the film to protect against any oxidation when the film was exposed to ambient conditions. The average film thickness was measured to be approximately 350 nm using a scanning electron microscopy, and the composition of the film was analyzed using energy dispersive spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the presence of Gd{sub 5}Si{sub 4} orthorhombic structure along with Gd{sub 5}Si{sub 3} secondary phase. The transition temperature of the film was determined from magnetic moment vs. temperature measurement. The transition temperature was between 320 and 345 K which is close to the transition temperature of the bulk material. Magnetic moment vs. magnetic field measurement confirmed that the film was ferromagnetic below 342 K.

• OSTI ID: 22273832
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 17; Conference: 55. annual conference on magnetism and magnetic materials, Atlanta, GA (United States), 14-18 Nov 2010; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
APPROXIMATIONS
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
GADOLINIUM SILICIDES
LASER RADIATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
ORTHORHOMBIC LATTICES
OXIDATION
PLATINUM
PULSED IRRADIATION
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY