MBE growth of ferromagnetic metastable epitaxial MnAl thin films on AlAs/GaAs heterostructures

Publication Type

Journal Article

Authors

DOI

Abstract

Epitaxial ferromagnetic films of τ-MnAl in thickness from 3 to 60 nm have been successfully grown on AlAs/GaAs heterostructures using the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth technique. This magnetic phase is a non-equilibrium metastable structure, stabilized in part by its close epitaxial registry with the underlying III-V semiconductor. The growth window is very narrow due to the metastability of the τ-phase. Growth has been achieved through the use of predeposited MnAl template layers of 1-3 bilayers, which effectively separate the nucleation and growth steps. Template formation and subsequent metal growth are monitored by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). RHEED has also been used to monitor preliminary attempts at III-V semiconductor overgrowth on the magnetic MnAl films. The data indicate that the overgrowth proceeds in a three-dimensional island growth mode of single crystal III-V semiconductor. © 1991.

Journal

Journal of Crystal Growth

Volume

111

Year of Publication

1991

ISSN

00220248

Notes

cited By 31

Research Areas