Ultrathin magnetic oxide EuO films on Si(001) using SiO{sub x} passivation-Controlled by hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy

Journal Article · Tue May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4795010· OSTI ID:22102401

Caspers, C.; Flade, S.; Mueller, M. ^[1]; Gorgoi, M. ^[2]; Gloskovskii, A.; Drube, W. ^[3]; Schneider, C. M. ^[1]

---

1. Peter Gruenberg Institut (PGI-6), Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany)
2. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, BESSY II, 12489 Berlin (Germany)
3. DESY Photon Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22603 Hamburg (Germany)

We present the chemical and structural optimization of ultrathin magnetic oxide EuO films on silicon. By applying a controlled in situ passivation of the Si(001) surface with SiO{sub x} in the monolayer regime, metallic silicide contaminations at the interface can be effectively reduced down to a sub-monolayer coverage, as was carefully quantified by interface-sensitive hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Heteroepitaxial growth of EuO on Si(001) is sustained for this ultrathin SiO{sub x}-passivation, and bulk-near magnetic properties are observed for the 4 nm-thin EuO films. Our successful combination of chemically and structurally optimized EuO/Si(001) heterostructures by ultrathin in situ SiO{sub x} passivation makes this system promising for an application as alternative spin functional tunnel contacts in spin-FETs.

• OSTI ID: 22102401
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 113; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
EUROPIUM OXIDES
FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS
FILMS
HARD X RADIATION
INTERFACES
LAYERS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
OPTIMIZATION
PASSIVATION
PHOTOEMISSION
SILICON
SILICON OXIDES
SPIN
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
SURFACES
TUNNEL EFFECT
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY