High Curie temperature Mn5Ge3 thin films produced by non-diffusive reaction

Polycrystalline Mn5Ge3 thin films were produced on SiO2 using magnetron sputtering and reactive diffusion (RD) or non-diffusive reaction (NDR). In situ X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy were used to determine the layer structures, and magnetic force microscopy, superconducting quantum interference device, and ferromagnetic resonance were used to determine their magnetic properties. RD-mediated layers exhibit similar magnetic properties as molecular beam epitaxygrown monocrystalline Mn5Ge3 thin films, while NDR-mediated layers show magnetic properties similar to monocrystalline C-doped Mn5Ge3Cx thin films with 0.1 <= x <= 0.2. NDR appears as a complementary metal oxide semi-conductor-compatible efficient method to produce good magnetic quality high-Curie temperature Mn5Ge3 thin films. Published by AIP Publishing.