AVS 51st International Symposium
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Tuesday Sessions
       Session MI-TuP

Paper MI-TuP11
Interface Chemistry and Structural Properties of Expitaxial Ultrathin Fe Films on MgO(100)

Tuesday, November 16, 2004, 4:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: E.D. Lu, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
Authors: E.D. Lu, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
V.K. Lazarov, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
H.T. Johnson-Steigelman, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
M. Gajdardziska-Josifovska, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
P.F. Lyman, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
Correspondent: Click to Email
Epitaxial ultra thin Fe films have been grown successfully on MgO(100)(1x1) at room temperature (RT). The chemistry and structures of the interface during Fe film growth has been investigated by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Prior to Fe deposition, commercial MgO(100) substrates were annealed at 750 °C in either furnace in air or ultra high vacuum (UHV) annealing in order to get well-ordered (1x1) reconstruction. We have found that band offsets toward valence band maximum (VBM) for MgO is 2.6 ± 0.2eV at Fe deposition of 5.0 monolayer (ML). We have also identified chemical states present on the initial stage of Fe deposition with elemental Fe@super 0@, Fe@super 2+@, and Fe@super 3+@ species. After deposition of more than 5.0 ML Fe, the elemental Fe becomes dominant, and finally body-centered cubic (bcc) Fe (100) films can be grown epitaxially on MgO(100)(1x1). Upon annealing for improving quality of the epitaxial Fe films, we have found there is an interdiffusion occurring between the Fe films and the MgO(100) substrates and becoming severe upon annealing to 500 °C.