Preparation of Micro-Patterned CaMn7O12 Ceramic Films via a Photosensitive Sol-Gel Method
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The paper reported the preparation of photosensitive CaMn7O12 gel films. Subsequently the magnetic properties of the patterned CaMn7O12 film were investigated. The results provided in the paper are interesting. I strongly suggest authors to make minor modification of current manuscript.
I listed some of the suggestions below:
(Lines 64 and 68) The authors need to describe the thicknesses of the gel and sintered films.
(Line 64) The UV-irradiation condition is very important. The authors need to describe the light source, the emission peak, the light intensity, and etc.
(Lines 107-116) The chelate absorption bands of the sol (Figure 2(d)) and gel (Figure 3) are obviously different. Especially, there are a shoulder peak at about 330 nm in the absorption spectrum of the gel. The authors should discuss in detail.
(Lines 127-131 and Figure 4) The explanation of the XRD patterns is insufficient. Not to misunderstand for readers, please show the four peaks of LAO (001), (002) and CaMn7O12 (001), (002) in Figure 4, and describe in detail.
There are some typing errors. Please check below.
(Lines 10-11 and 53) methyl methanol --> methanol
(Line 14) indicate --> indicates
(Lines 55 and 56) methanol --> MeOH
(Line 77) was used --> were used
(Line 86) solution --> sol
(Line 110) solution --> sol
(Figure 6) KOe --> kOe
(Line 172) Making use of the photosensitive characteristic of sol, --> "delete??"
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Recommendation: Minor Revision
The authors mainly report the “Preparation of micro-patterned CaMn7O12 thin films via a photosensitive sol-gel method” which demonstrate the antiferromagnetic properties of the micro-pattern thin film. This manuscript shows some interesting information; however, it is observed the lack of information about the results and discussions part. Therefore, I recommend the minor revision.
Some of the comments are given below.
The thin film shows the saturation magnetization of about 112.8 emu/cm3 and author reported this value is close to the non-patterned CaMn7O12 thin films. When compared with your previous study, it shows the less value of the magnetization and what is the motivation to prepare a thin film with a chelate ring and irradiated with UV light.
What are the advantages when prepared the CaMn7O12 thin films without photoresist?
The saturation magnetization is generally affected by the grain size, grain morphology, etc., But I did not find any results about grain size and morphology of the CaMn7O12 thin film.
This work is mainly focused on the UV-irradiation in chelate CaMn7O12 thin film which influences the magnetization properties. However, no experiment was conducted without UV-irradiation.
What is the saturation magnetization value for before and after UV irradiation? Explain it.
Why the high temperature of the 730 oC was used as the annealing temperature?
What is the crystal phase for CaMn7O12 thin film before and after annealing temperature?
In Fig, the absorption experiment, after adding the Ca to the AcAc+MeoH solution, the Ca does not react with AcAc. What is the role of Ca in this reaction and why did you add Ca?
In scheme 2, I did not see any changes in the electron excitation in the structure. Authors have shown (Fig.4) only the XRD pattern of the CaMn7O12 thin film, but need to give either reference XRD pattern of the CaMn7O12 or JCPDF number. Also, the peak intensity of the substrate was observed clearly and did not find a peak at 24.09o. Explain the reason?
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Please, find following my comments concerning Paper Coatings-590944 by Yunwei Wang et al., untitled “Preparation of micro-patterned CaMn7O12 thin films via a photosensitive sol-gel method”
Here are my comments:
I have rejected the article because the characterization of the micro-patterned CaMn7O12 thin film is very poor. The authors confirm the micro-patterned by optical images, but they only confirm the presence of the CaMn7O12 phase by X-ray powder diffraction (in the X-ray powder pattern presented in the text, the authors indicate the presence of the (011) plane of the CaMn7O12, and I can not see it). In order to characterize the CaMn7O12 phase it is necessary to perform additional analysis as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).
Also, the introduction section is very poor.
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
The paper written by Yunwei Wang et al with the title “Preparation of micro-pattern CaMn7O12 thin films via a photosensitive sol-gel method” describe a technique of synthesizing of micro patterned CaMn7O12 thin films. The paper is interesting and suitable for this Journal.
I would like to add a few more questions:
Are CaMn7O12 single-phase thin films? The quality of the thin films are not clear (percentages of any additional phases).
In Fig. 3, there are two legends. I think the arrow and description near the arrow are additionally.
I did not get from the paper: Exist a correlation between fabrication process (parameters of growing process) of micro-pattterned CaMn7O12 and geometry of the thin films (diameter and period of columns, striped structure, etc )? Can you manipulate the geometry of the thin films with growing conditions?
Which type of micro-patterned CaMn7O12 thin films was used in measuring XRD pattern? All CaMn7O12 thin films exhibit similar XRD pattern? As far as I understood from the paper you have different micro-pattern CaMn7O12 thin films.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Please, find following my comments concerning Paper Coatings-590944 by Yunwei Wang et al., untitled “Preparation of micro-patterned CaMn7O12 thin films via a photosensitive sol-gel method”
The authors have complied with all my corrections/suggestions.
This manuscript is now suitable for publication.
