An interplay among the Mg2+ ion coordination, structural order, oxygen vacancies and magnetism of MgO thin films

Abstract

The magnetic properties of MgO thin films were discussed as an interplay among the oxygen vacancies, Mg2+ ion coordination and structural order deposited using radio frequency (RF) sputtering method by varying substrate temperature and deposition power followed by in-situ annealing. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) performed for these films showed decrease of film thickness with increase of substrate temperature. Films are thicker for higher sputtering powers at corresponding substrate temperatures. Spectral features in Mg K-edge near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra are characteristics of MgO for both sputtering powers at substrate temperature of room temperature (RT) and 350 °C. O K-edge NEXAFS spectra exhibited onset of oxygen vacancies as inferred from pre-edge region. Magnetization versus applied magnetic field curves for these films showed onset of do ferromagnetism. This behavior ceased with increase of substrate temperature, however, become dominant with increase of sputtering power. Magnetic behavior was dominant for the films which had slightly distorted Mg2+ ion co-ordination. The existence of oxygen vacancies was not observed to be consistent with magnetization. Thus, this study envisaged the role of Mg2+ ion coordination, long range structural order and oxygen vacancies in order to determine magnetism in these systems.