Molecular beam epitaxial growth of
ferromagnetic MnSb(0001) has
been achieved on high quality, fully relaxed Ge(111)/Si(111) virtual
substrates grown by reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition. The
epilayers were characterized using reflection high energy electron
diffraction, synchrotron hard X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoemission
spectroscopy, and magnetometry. The surface reconstructions, magnetic
properties, crystalline quality, and strain relaxation behavior of
the MnSb films are similar to those of MnSb grown on GaAs(111). In
contrast to GaAs substrates, segregation of substrate atoms through
the MnSb film does not occur, and alternative polymorphs of MnSb are
absent.