AVS 49th International Symposium
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Friday Sessions
       Session MI+TF-FrM

Paper MI+TF-FrM1
Structure and Magnetism of Ultra Thin Fe Films Grown on CoGa(100)

Friday, November 8, 2002, 8:20 am, Room C-205

Session: Magnetic Thin Films and Surfaces
Presenter: L.K. Verheij, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
Authors: L.K. Verheij, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
T. Balster, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
D.A. Kovacs, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
R. David, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
R. Franchy, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
The structure and magnetic properties of thin Fe layers deposited on CoGa(100) (misfit 0.5 %) were investigated by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), by helium scattering (TEAS), and by the magneto optical Kerr effect (MOKE). For room temperature deposition we observe well defined intensity oscillations of the specular helium intensity under anti-phase conditions. Upon increasing the growth temperature to 550 K the amplitude of the oscillations and their number increases substantially. At both growth temperatures a tendency for double layer growth is found up to a film thickness of about 10 ML. The magnetic properties of the Fe films appear to depend on the experimental conditions during growth and on the preparation of the substrate surface. Films with a magnetization with the easy axis parallel to the surface and with the easy axis perpendicular to the surface have been grown. The Curie temperature of the Fe films increases from 240 K to 600 K when the thickness is increased from 1 to 2 ML. Above 650 K, the film is unstable due to intermixing. The relation between the changes of the structure and the magnetic behavior with preparation are discussed.