AVS 45th International Symposium
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Technical Group Tuesday Sessions
       Session MI-TuA

Paper MI-TuA3
Enhanced Curie Temperature of GdN in GdN/Fe Multilayers

Tuesday, November 3, 1998, 2:40 pm, Room 324/325

Session: Emerging Materials and Hybrid Structures
Presenter: W.J. Antel Jr., Ohio University
Authors: W.J. Antel Jr., Ohio University
F. Perjeru, Ohio University
W.L. O'Brien, University of Wisconsin, Madison
G.R. Harp, Ohio University
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Both magnetic and semiconductor systems as distinct entities have found a wide variety of applications, however work on magnetic semiconductor systems is still in its infancy. The GdN/Fe multilayer system is investigated here as a function of GdN thickness. GdN alone is a ferromagnet with a Curie temperature of 60 K. In the multilayer structure, exchange coupling between the Fe and GdN is found to drastically raise the Curie temperature. The films are grown using reactive sputtering with a N and Ar atmosphere for the GdN, and a pure Ar atmosphere for the Fe. Magnetic moment measurements, using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, are performed at the L@sub 2,3@ edge of Fe and M@sub 4,5@ of Gd. At room temperature, the Gd is found to maintain a significant moment up to a layer thickness of 3 Å. Measurements performed at 100 K indicate a constant Gd moment of approximately 6 µ@sub B@ out to at least a thickness of 10 Å.