The role of chemical structure on the magnetic and electronic properties of Co{sub 2}FeAl{sub 0.5}Si{sub 0.5}/Si(111) interface
- SuperSTEM Laboratory, SciTech Daresbury Campus, Daresbury WA4 4AD (United Kingdom)
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)
- Department of Systems Innovation, Osaka University, Osaka 560-8531 (Japan)
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)
- Department of Electronics, University of York, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)
We show that Co{sub 2}FeAl{sub 0.5}Si{sub 0.5} film deposited on Si(111) has a single crystal structure and twin related epitaxial relationship with the substrate. Sub-nanometer electron energy loss spectroscopy shows that in a narrow interface region there is a mutual inter-diffusion dominated by Si and Co. Atomic resolution aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals that the film has B2 ordering. The film lattice structure is unaltered even at the interface due to the substitutional nature of the intermixing. First-principles calculations performed using structural models based on the aberration corrected electron microscopy show that the increased Si incorporation in the film leads to a gradual decrease of the magnetic moment as well as significant spin-polarization reduction. These effects can have significant detrimental role on the spin injection from the Co{sub 2}FeAl{sub 0.5}Si{sub 0.5} film into the Si substrate, besides the structural integrity of this junction.
- OSTI ID:
- 22591646
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 108, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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