AVS 49th International Symposium
    Surface Science Wednesday Sessions
       Session SS-WeP

Paper SS-WeP20
Using Ti Interlayers as an Interface Stabilizer to Promote Epitaxial Growth of Fe on Al(100) Surfaces@footnote 1@

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Surface Science Poster Session
Presenter: R.J. Smith, Montana State University
Authors: C.V. Ramana, Montana State University
R.J. Smith, Montana State University
B.S. Choi, Jeonju University, Korea
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An approach is described to promote epitaxial growth of thin metal films on single-crystal metal substrates by stabilizing the interface with an extremely thin metallic interlayer. A single atomic layer of a metal is deposited at the interface prior to the growth of the metal film of interest to produce an abrupt, epitaxial interface in a system that is otherwise characterized by interdiffusion or chemical roughness. The stabilized interface prevents interdiffusion and serves as a template for ordered film growth. Using high-energy He+ backscattering and channeling techniques along with low-energy electron diffraction and low-energy He+ scattering, it is demonstrated that an atomically thin layer of Ti metal deposited at the Fe-Al interface, a system well known for considerable intermixing at room temperature, prevents interdiffusion and promotes the epitaxial growth of Fe films on the Al(100) surface. The resulting structure is observed to be stable for temperatures up to about 200 C. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@Work Supported by NSF Grant DMR-0077534.