Chemical vapor deposited epitaxial films for bubble devices

The first epitaxial films of bubble domain garnets were prepared by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. However, liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) has rapidly become a very competitive technique. Despite the usefulness of both techniques in preparing research samples, their potential utility as manufacturing methods has yet to be demonstrated. The major portion of this paper presents the current status in this laboratory of the development of CVD as a manufacturing method. Subjects that will be discussed include reactor configurations, best film compositions, composition control, thickness uniformity, defect density, and film production rates. Finally, there will be a discussion of the relative merits of CVD and LPE.