Investigation of face-centered-cubic Fe thin films using wedged samples

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.588801· OSTI ID:288421

Kawakami, R K; Escorcia-Aparicio, E J; Qiu, Z Q ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

The structural and magnetic properties of metastable face-centered-cubic (fcc) Fe thin films on fcc Co(100) substrate were studied using wedged samples. fcc Co(100) was chosen for the substrate because it is structurally very similar to Cu(100) but is ferromagnetic at room temperature. Reflection high energy electron diffraction and low energy electron diffraction characterizations confirm that epitaxially grown (MBE) Fe on Co(100) is structurally very similar to Fe on Cu(100): face-centered-tetragonal (fct) for {ital d}{sub Fe}{lt}6 ML, fcc for 6 ML{lt}{ital d}{sub Fe}{lt}11 ML, bcc for {ital d}{sub Fe}{approx_gt}11 ML. {ital In} {ital situ} surface magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements show that at room temperature the fct and bcc regions are ferromagnetic, while the fcc region is nonferromagnetic with some magnetic live layers. All magnetizations are in-plane. Oxygen absorption experiments suggest that these live layers are at the Fe/Co interface. Low temperature growth Fe/Co(100) shows a Kerr signal that increases linearly with {ital d}{sub Fe} and suggests that the magnetic moments for fcc Fe and bcc Fe are the same. To further study the magnetic properties of the nonferromagnetic {open_quote}{open_quote}fcc{close_quote}{close_quote} phase, we used metastable fcc Fe as a spacer layer between two Co layers. The Co/fcc Fe/Co on Cu(100) sandwiches exhibit ferromagnetic coupling, strong antiferromagnetic coupling (AFC) and weak AFC. An oscillation in the strong AFC was found by artificially lengthening the thickness range of the nonferromagnetic fcc phase. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Vacuum Society}

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 288421
• Report Number(s): CONF-9510389--
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena, Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 14; ISSN JVTBD9; ISSN 0734-211X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COBALT
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
FCC LATTICES
IRON
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
PHASE STUDIES
THIN FILMS