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Title: Structural phase diagram for ultra-thin epitaxial Fe3O4 / MgO(0 01) films: thickness and oxygen pressure dependence

Abstract

A systematic investigation of the thickness and oxygen pressure dependence for the structural properties of ultra-thin epitaxial magnetite (Fe3O4) films has been carried out; for such films, the structural properties generally differ from those for the bulk when the thickness ≤10 nm. Iron oxide ultra-thin films with thicknesses varying from 3 nm to 20 nm were grown on MgO (001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy under different oxygen pressures ranging from 1 × 10-7 torr to 1 × 10-5 torr. The crystallographic and electronic structures of the films were characterized using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Moreover, the quality of the epitaxial Fe3O4 ultra-thin films was judged by magnetic measurements of the Verwey transition, along with complementary XPS spectra. We observed that under the same growth conditions the stoichiometry of ultra-thin films under 10 nm transforms from the Fe3O4 phase to the FeO phase. In this work, a phase diagram based on thickness and oxygen pressure has been constructed to explain the structural phase transformation. It was found that high-quality magnetite films with thicknesses ≤20 nm formed within a narrow range of oxygen pressure. An optimal and controlled growth process is a crucial requirementmore » for the accurate study of the magnetic and electronic properties for ultra-thin Fe3O4 films. Furthermore, these results are significant because they may indicate a general trend in the growth of other oxide films, which has not been previously observed or considered.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)
  2. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1248806
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1238405
Report Number(s):
BNL-112061-2016-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0953-8984; R&D Project: PO010; KC0201060
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC00112704; No. DE-SC00112704
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 28; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0953-8984
Publisher:
IOP Publishing
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

Alraddadi, S., Hines, W., Yilmaz, T., Gu, G. D., and Sinkovic, B. Structural phase diagram for ultra-thin epitaxial Fe3O4 / MgO(0 01) films: thickness and oxygen pressure dependence. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1088/0953-8984/28/11/115402.
Alraddadi, S., Hines, W., Yilmaz, T., Gu, G. D., & Sinkovic, B. Structural phase diagram for ultra-thin epitaxial Fe3O4 / MgO(0 01) films: thickness and oxygen pressure dependence. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/28/11/115402
Alraddadi, S., Hines, W., Yilmaz, T., Gu, G. D., and Sinkovic, B. Fri . "Structural phase diagram for ultra-thin epitaxial Fe3O4 / MgO(0 01) films: thickness and oxygen pressure dependence". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/28/11/115402. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1248806.
@article{osti_1248806,
title = {Structural phase diagram for ultra-thin epitaxial Fe3O4 / MgO(0 01) films: thickness and oxygen pressure dependence},
author = {Alraddadi, S. and Hines, W. and Yilmaz, T. and Gu, G. D. and Sinkovic, B.},
abstractNote = {A systematic investigation of the thickness and oxygen pressure dependence for the structural properties of ultra-thin epitaxial magnetite (Fe3O4) films has been carried out; for such films, the structural properties generally differ from those for the bulk when the thickness ≤10 nm. Iron oxide ultra-thin films with thicknesses varying from 3 nm to 20 nm were grown on MgO (001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy under different oxygen pressures ranging from 1 × 10-7 torr to 1 × 10-5 torr. The crystallographic and electronic structures of the films were characterized using low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Moreover, the quality of the epitaxial Fe3O4 ultra-thin films was judged by magnetic measurements of the Verwey transition, along with complementary XPS spectra. We observed that under the same growth conditions the stoichiometry of ultra-thin films under 10 nm transforms from the Fe3O4 phase to the FeO phase. In this work, a phase diagram based on thickness and oxygen pressure has been constructed to explain the structural phase transformation. It was found that high-quality magnetite films with thicknesses ≤20 nm formed within a narrow range of oxygen pressure. An optimal and controlled growth process is a crucial requirement for the accurate study of the magnetic and electronic properties for ultra-thin Fe3O4 films. Furthermore, these results are significant because they may indicate a general trend in the growth of other oxide films, which has not been previously observed or considered.},
doi = {10.1088/0953-8984/28/11/115402},
journal = {Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter},
number = 11,
volume = 28,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Fri Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Evolution of magnetic properties in the vicinity of the Verwey transition in Fe 3 O 4 thin films
journal, September 2017