Epitaxial growth of fcc-Co{sub x}Ni{sub 100-x} thin films on MgO(110) single-crystal substrates

Journal Article · Tue Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3267878· OSTI ID:21359400

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nukaga, Yuri; Sato, Yoichi; Futamoto, Masaaki ^[1]; Kirino, Fumiyoshi ^[2]

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1. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan)
2. Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714 (Japan)

Co{sub x}Ni{sub 100-x} (x=100, 80, 20, 0 at. %) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(110) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 deg. C by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The growth mechanism is discussed based on lattice strain and crystallographic defects. CoNi(110) single-crystal films with a fcc structure are obtained for all compositions. Co{sub x}Ni{sub 100-x} film growth follows the Volmer-Weber mode. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of the Co{sub x}Ni{sub 100-x} films are in agreement within +-0.5% with the values of the respective bulk Co{sub x}Ni{sub 100-x} crystals, suggesting that the strain in the film is very small. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission microscopy shows that an atomically sharp boundary is formed between a Co(110){sub fcc} film and a MgO(110) substrate, where periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the film at the Co/MgO interface. The presence of such periodical misfit dislocations relieves the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate.

• OSTI ID: 21359400
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 106, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3267878; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COBALT ALLOYS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
DISLOCATIONS
FCC LATTICES
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
MONOCRYSTALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
RESIDUAL STRESSES
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
CHALCOGENIDES
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
CRYSTAL LATTICES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
CUBIC LATTICES
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EPITAXY
FILMS
LINE DEFECTS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SCATTERING
STRESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS