The solid state reaction of Fe with the Si(111) vicinal surface: splitting of bunched steps

Abstract

The solid state reaction of deposited Fe (four monolayers, ML) with vicinal Si(111) substrate induced by subsequent thermal treatment has been studied using scanning tunnelling microscopy. At the lower range of annealing temperatures up to 400 °C the bunched steps of bare substrate are reproduced by the surface of the covering iron silicide layer. At 400 °C the onset of three-dimensional growth of iron silicide islands is observed. In comparison to the samples covered with smaller amounts of Fe it appears at a lower annealing temperature. Above 500 °C the bunched steps split into lower ones but more densely distributed due to proceeding reactions between Fe-rich iron silicide and Si substrate. As a consequence, at 700 °C the well-developed three-dimensional nanocrystallites of iron silicide are randomly distributed on the Si surface. This observation is in contrast to the formation of a regular array of iron silicide crystallites upon deposition of 2 ML of Fe.

Determination of magnetic anisotropy constants in Fe ultrathin film on vicinal Si(111) by anisotropic magnetoresistance

“…Recently, the growth and magnetic properties of single crystal Fe film on Si(111) surface have been investigated owing to its application in integration of magnetic devices in Si-based technology and new opportunities in spintronics4567891011. The research of Fe ultrathin film magnetization has approached down to the atomic level by a powerful spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM)121314.…”

Manipulating magnetic anisotropy and ultrafast spin dynamics of magnetic nanostructures

“…[19] The growth and the magnetic properties of single crystal Fe film on Si(111) surface have been investigated owing to its application in integration of magnetic devices in Sibased technology and new opportunities in spintronics. [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] The Si(111) substrate has often been selected to obtain different stepped surfaces. [28,29] Compared to metallic substrates, it is convenient to obtain a clean Si substrate surface, and the surface morphology can be manipulated by different treating processes.…”

Magnetization reversal process in Fe/Si (001) single-crystalline film investigated by planar Hall effect

“…The properties of magnetic thin films grown on silicon have been investigated by amounts of work in the past decades, because of their applications in the integration of magnetic devices in silicon technology and new opportunities in spintronics, [1,2] especially the magnetization reversal process of iron films. [3][4][5] For an Fe (001) film, the domain wall displacement always dominates the magnetization reversal process and sometimes coherent rotation will participate in the reversal process in a high external field or near the easy axis of film.…”