Growth and properties of yttrium-iron garnet films with a higher iron content

Preparation of a novel yttrium-iron garnet of the chemical formula Y3-xFe5+xO12, where 0.1≤x≤1.5, is reported. Epitaxial films of this garnet were grown by the liquid phase epitaxy technique from the PbO-B2O3 solution containing weakly dissociated both yttrium-iron garnet Y3Fe5O12 and yttrium orthoferrite YFeO3 as the charge materials. It has been shown that crystallization from such a solution-melt results in the clusters which contain some structural fragments of Y3Fe5O12 and YFeO3 inside the liquid phase of the growing films and crystals forming in such a way a structure of the novel ferrite. Structural and magnetic properties of the obtained garnet films are also discussed.