Induced ferromagnetism in Mn{sub 3}N{sub 2} phase embedded in Mn/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} multilayers

Journal Article · Sat Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3203997· OSTI ID:21361786

Cespedes, E; Roman, E; Huttel, Y; Andres, A de; Prieto, C ^[1]; Chaboy, J ^[2]; Garcia-Lopez, J ^[3]

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1. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain)
2. Dep. de Fisica de la Materia Condensada and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon, CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain)
3. Centro Nacional de Aceleradores, Parque Tecnologico Cartuja'93, 41092 Sevilla (Spain)

Room temperature ferromagnetism has been obtained for different sets of Mn/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} multilayers prepared by sputtering. In order to find the most suitable conditions to stabilize the ferromagnetic ordering in this system, the evolution of the magnetic properties has been studied for films in which the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} layer thickness was maintained constant while that of the Mn layer was varied, [Mn(t{sub m})/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}(3.4 nm)]{sub n}, and conversely, in [Mn(0.7 nm)/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}(t{sub sn})]{sub 43} samples, in which the Mn layer thickness was kept constant while varying the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} layer thickness. Structural, compositional, electronic and magnetic characterizations have been performed by means of x-ray reflectometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, x-ray absorption, and superconducting quantum interference device for further knowledge of the magnetic-structural relationship in this system. Our results show that the peculiar magnetic behavior of these films is mainly related to the stabilization of a slightly distorted Mn{sub 3}N{sub 2} phase that is induced by the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} at the interfaces. For samples with larger Mn layer thickness, metallic Mn and Mn{sub 3}N{sub 2} phases coexist, which leads to a reduction of the total magnetization per Mn atom due to the presence of metallic Mn. For small Mn layer thickness (t{sub m}<0.86 nm), where noncontinuous Mn{sub 3}N{sub 2} layers are formed, the magnetization decreases noticeably due to the superparamagnetic size limit. It has been found that the best conditions for the stabilization of the ferromagnetism in this system occur when both, the manganese-rich and the silicon nitride layers, are continuous and with similar thickness, close to 3.5 nm.

• OSTI ID: 21361786
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 106, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3203997; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION
DEPOSITION
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
FERROMAGNETISM
LAYERS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIC SEMICONDUCTORS
MAGNETIZATION
MANGANESE
MANGANESE NITRIDES
PHOTOEMISSION
RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING SPECTROSCOPY
SILICON NITRIDES
SPUTTERING
SQUID DEVICES
SUPERPARAMAGNETISM
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
X-RAY SPECTRA
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
EQUIPMENT
FLUXMETERS
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNETISM
MANGANESE COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
SECONDARY EMISSION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SORPTION
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS