Intermixing during epitaxial growth and Mössbauer spectroscopy with probe layers

Mössbauer spectroscopy with ⁵⁷Fe (¹¹⁹Sn) probe layers is a useful method to study the local magnetic structures at buried interfaces. However interface alloying, which always exists in the real samples, have to be taken into account for accurate interpretation of experimental data. We developed an algorithm, which describes the interface intermixing in the multilayers. Substituting deposited atoms by atoms of substrate and floating of deposited atoms in the upper layers during epitaxial growth leads to the formation of asymmetric chemical and magnetic interfaces. This asymmetry in the M₁/M₂ superlattices can explain the difference between magnetic responses from M₁ on M₂ and M₂ on M₁ interfaces which were observed in experiments. Applying this intermixing model to the systems with probe layers located at different distances from the interfaces gives the natural explanation of hyperfine fields distributions on probe atoms and helps us clarify some discrepancies reported in the literature.     

Study of the Fe−Ni interface by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy

Nickel-gamma iron interfaces obtained by growing films of Fe on Ni substrates are studied using CEMS. We have found that a) intermixing is confined to two atomic layers, b) Fe atoms deposited on structural defects of the Ni (111) surfaces are magnetically polarized, c) Fe epitaxially grown on Ni is highly susceptible at room temperature. Moreover the Ni−Fe interface shows Neel-type magnetic anisotropy.     

Magnetic Properties of Fe/Ni and Fe/Co Multilayer Thin Films

In this work, the magnetic and transport properties of Fe/SiO₂/Ni and Fe/SiO₂/Co multilayers grown on Si/SiO₂ substrates have been studied. The samples have been prepared by two-stage deposition process. In the first stage, Fe layer and SiO₂ interlayer of both samples are grown by ion beam deposition technique at room temperature. Then the samples are taken out to ambient atmosphere and loaded into a pulse laser deposition (PLD) chamber. Prior to the deposition of top layer, the samples are cleaned by annealing at 150 °C. In the second stage, Ni (or Co) layer is prepared by PLD technique at room temperature. The thickness of deposited layers has been measured by Rutherford back scattering (RBS). Magnetic properties of ferromagnetic bilayers have been investigated by room-temperature ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. Standard four-point magneto-transport measurements at various temperatures have been performed. Two-step switching in the in-plane hysteresis loops of Fe/SiO₂/Ni and Fe/SiO₂/Co samples is observed. A crossing in the middle of hysteresis loops of both samples points to a weak antiferromagnetic interaction between the magnetic layers of the stacks. Saturation magnetization values have been obtained from the VSM measurements of samples with DC magnetic field perpendicular to the films surface. Magneto-transport measurements have shown the predominant contribution of anisotropic magnetic resistance both at room and low temperatures. FMR studies of Fe/SiO₂/Ni and Fe/SiO₂/Co samples have revealed additional non-uniform (surface and bulk SWR) modes, which behavior has been explained in the framework of the surface inhomogeneity model. An origin of the antiferromagnetic interaction has been discussed.     

The role of phase separation for self-organized surface pattern formation by ion beam erosion and metal atom co-deposition

We investigate the ripple pattern formation on Si surfaces at room temperature during normal incidence ion beam erosion under simultaneous deposition of different metallic co-deposited surfactant atoms. The co-deposition of small amounts of metallic atoms, in particular Fe and Mo, is known to have a tremendous impact on the evolution of nanoscale surface patterns on Si. In previous work on ion erosion of Si during co-deposition of Fe atoms, we proposed that chemical interactions between Fe and Si atoms of the steady-state mixed Fe _x Si surface layer formed during ion beam erosion is a dominant driving force for self-organized pattern formation. In particular, we provided experimental evidence for the formation of amorphous iron disilicide. To confirm and generalize such chemical effects on the pattern formation, in particular the tendency for phase separation, we have now irradiated Si surfaces with normal incidence 5 keV Xe ions under simultaneous gracing incidence co-deposition of Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, W, Pt, and Au surfactant atoms. The selected metals in the two groups (Fe, Ni, Cu) and (W, Pt, Au) are very similar regarding their collision cascade behavior, but strongly differ regarding their tendency to silicide formation. We find pronounced ripple pattern formation only for those co deposited metals (Fe, Mo, Ni, W, and Pt), which are prone to the formation of mono and disilicides. In contrast, for Cu and Au co-deposition the surface remains very flat, even after irradiation at high ion fluence. Because of the very different behavior of Cu compared to Fe, Ni and Au compared to W, Pt, phase separation toward amorphous metal silicide phases is seen as the relevant process for the pattern formation on Si in the case of Fe, Mo, Ni, W, and Pt co-deposition.     

Studying the effect of hydrogen on diamond growth by adding C10H10Fe under high pressures and high temperatures

In this paper, hydrogen-doped industrial diamonds and gem diamonds were synthesized in the Fe–Ni–C system with C₁₀H₁₀Fe additive, high pressures and high temperatures range of 5.2–6.2?GPa and 1250–1460°C. Experimental results indicate similar effect of hydrogen on these two types of diamonds: with the increasing content of C₁₀H₁₀Fe added in diamond growth environment, temperature is a crucial factor that sensitively affects the hydrogen-doped diamond crystallization. The temperature region for high-quality diamond growth becomes higher and the morphology of diamond crystal changes from cube-octahedral to octahedral. The defects on the {100} surfaces of diamond are more than those on the {111} surfaces. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicate that the hydrogen atoms enter into the diamond crystal lattice from {100} faces more easily. Most interestingly, under low temperature, nitrogen atoms can also easily enter into the diamond crystal lattice from {100} faces cooperated with hydrogen atoms.     

Thickness dependence of the magnetic anisotropy of Fe layers separated by Al

Magnetic multilayers of ⁵⁷Fe with nominal thickness, T _nom, between 0.4 and 1.0 nm separated by 3.0 nm Al spacer layers were prepared by alternate deposition of the constituents in high vacuum. The samples were investigated at 4.2 K in external magnetic field. A fraction of Fe atoms corresponding to about 0.3 nm equivalent Fe-thickness was found to mix into the Al spacer. The extremely strong magnetic anisotropy observed for T _nom < 0.8 nm is attributed to Fe layers of approximately two atomic planes thick. The anisotropy decreases considerably after the building up of the third Fe atomic layer starts at T _nom = 0.8 nm, but full saturation was not achieved even for T _nom = 1 nm and 3 T magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the sample plane.     

Modification of the electronic structure of graphene by intercalation of iron and silicon atoms

The ab initio calculations of the electronic structure of low-dimensional graphene–iron–nickel and graphene–silicon–iron systems were carried out using the density functional theory. For the graphene–Fe–Ni(111) system, band structures for different spin projections and total densities of valence electrons are determined. The energy position of the Dirac cone caused by the p _z states of graphene depends weakly on the number of iron layers intercalated into the interlayer gap between nickel and graphene. For the graphene–Si–Fe(111) system, the most advantageous positions of silicon atoms on iron are determined. The intercalation of silicon under graphene leads to a sharp decrease in the interaction of carbon atoms with the substrate and largely restores the electronic properties of free graphene.

     

AES and XPS investigations of the surface layers of porous silicon with Fe,Co, and Ni embedded pores

A Composite material of porous silicon with pore embedded d-metals por-Si(Me) can be used for fabricating memory cells. Por-Si layers have been produced by electrochemical etching of n-type silicon (100) according to the conventional process. Fe, Co, and Ni galvanic deposition in por-Si has been performed using aqueous solutions of corresponding sulfate salts. The Auger profiles of the obtained por-Si(Fe), por-Si(Co), por-Si(Ni) nanocomposites have shown that its surface layers (up to 40 nm thick) contained about 10% Fe and no more than 1% Co and Ni. These facts confirm data that Co and Ni, unlike Fe, penetrate deep into the silicon pores. The value of the magnetic moment for the nanocrystalline Ni atom incorporated into the por-Si(Ni) has been estimated based on the dependence of the relative intensity of the maxima for the 3s multiplet splitting of the X-ray phase spectra on the number of uncoupled d-electrons in systems with 3d metals. The obtained value ∼2.4 μB exceeds the atomic magnetic moment in bulk metallic Ni.     

Study of near surface layer of graphite produced by nitrogen ion bombardment at high doses

To study the modified surface layers of graphites and deposited films of sputtered material, the dependences of sputtering yield Y , and ion-electron emission coefficient γ on ion incidence angle and target temperature under high dose 30 keV N⁺ ₂ ion irradiation have been measured. In the angular range θ=0-80° Y and γ increase approximately as inverse cosθ, Y of POCO-AXF-5Q are 1.5 times larger than of MPG-LT. The dependences of γ (T) manifests a step-like behaviour typical for the radiation induced phase transitions. EPR analysis shows that at near room temperatures the point electron defects are typical of carbon and the defects due to carbon atoms interacting with 14 N nuclei. At elevated temperatures (≥ 300°C) there are the defects typical of graphite-like structures. The films deposited on glass collectors shows for cold targets only the defects typical of carbon, for the heated graphites - also the defects associated with C-¹⁴N nuclei interaction.     

The interaction of Fe on MgO(1 0 0) surfaces

The atomic interaction and magnetic properties of ultrathin Fe films grown on cleaved and polished MgO(1 0 0) surfaces were studied by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). ⁵⁷Fe layers were deposited as probe atoms in different layer positions in 10 ML thick Fe films. Fe layers of different thicknesses were formed on polished and cleaved substrate surfaces at RT deposition. The analysis of the spectra showed no Fe-O^2- interaction in MgO/Fe interface. FeO phase formation was excluded. The Mössbauer spectrum of 5 ML ⁵⁷Fe sample showed enhanced internal magnetic field at 80 K. No interdiffusion of ⁵⁷Fe and ⁵⁶Fe atoms was observed between the layers at room temperature.     

Dynamic Monte Carlo simulation of film–substrate interface mixing in the deposition of Co on Cu (001)

Dynamic Monte Carlo simulations are performed to investigate the interface mixing of Co atoms deposited on a Cu (001) substrate. A tight-binding potential was used to determine the input parameters (jump probabilities and energy barriers) for the Dynamic Monte Carlo model. The results show that more Co adatoms penetrate into the substrate as the temperature rises and/or as the deposition rate decreases, and that the intermixing between the layers becomes concomitantly more pronounced. Cu atoms migrating into the Co layer via exchange processes during the growth of consecutive Co layers are proposed to be responsible for the intermixing. Furthermore, an initial Co clustering followed by a layer-by-layer growth mode was observed in the simulations, with the surface concentration of Cu atoms depending on the fraction of migrating Cu atoms and decaying into the Co film following a power law. The fraction of Cu atoms migrating into the Co layer can be adjusted by varying the deposition rate and the substrate temperature.     

Bath temperature effect on magnetoelectric performance of Ni-lead zirconate titanate-Ni laminated composites synthesized by electroless deposition

Magnetoelectric (ME) Ni-lead zirconate titanate-Ni laminated composites have been prepared by electroless deposition at various bath temperatures. The structure of the Ni layers deposited at various bath temperatures was characterized by X-ray diffraction, and microstructures were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The magnetostrictive coefficients were measured by means of a resistance strain gauge. The transverse ME voltage coefficient α_E,31 was measured with the magnetic field applied parallel to the sample plane. The deposition rate of Ni increases with bath temperature. Ni layer with smaller grain size is obtained at higher bath temperature and shows higher piezomagnetic coefficient, promoting the ME effect of corresponding laminated composites. It is advantageous to increase the bath temperature, while trying to avoid the breaking of bath constituents.     

Effect of the pulsed laser deposition conditions on the tribological properties of thin-film nanostructured coatings based on molybdenum diselenide and carbon

The structural state and tribological properties of gradient and composite antifriction coatings produced by pulsed laser codeposition from MoSe₂(Ni) and graphite targets are studied. The coatings are deposited onto steel substrates in vacuum and an inert gas, and an antidrop shield is used to prevent the deposition of micron-size particles from a laser jet onto the coating. The deposition of a laser jet from the graphite target and the application of a negative potential to the substrate ensure additional high-energy atom bombardment of growing coatings. Comparative tribological tests performed at a relative air humidity of ∼50% demonstrate that the “drop-free” deposition of a laser-induced atomic flux in the shield shadow significantly improves the antifriction properties of MoSe _x coatings, decreasing the friction coefficient from 0.07 to 0.04. The best tribological properties, which combine a low friction coefficient and high wear resistance, are detected in drop-free MoSe _x coatings additionally alloyed with carbon (up to ∼55 at %) and subjected to effective bombardment by high-energy atoms during growth. Under these conditions, a dense nanocomposite structure containing the self-lubricating MoSe₂ phase and an amorphous carbon phase with a rather high concentration of diamond bonds forms.     

Optimized growth and dielectric properties of barium titanate thin films on polycrystalline Ni foils

Barium titanate(BTO) thin films were deposited on polycrystalline Ni foils by using the polymer assisted deposition(PAD) technique.The growth conditions including ambient and annealing temperatures were carefully optimized based on thermal dynamic analysis to control the oxidation processing and interdiffusion.Crystal structures,surface morphologies,and dielectric performance were examined and compared for BTO thin films annealed under different temperatures.Correlations between the fabrication conditions,microstructures,and dielectric properties were discussed.BTO thin films fabricated under the optimized conditions show good crystalline structure and promising dielectric properties with εr～ 400 and tan δ < 0.025 at 100 kHz.The data demonstrate that BTO films grown on polycrystalline Ni substrates by PAD are promising in device applications.     

Model of electroless Ni deposition on SiCp/Al composites and study of the interfacial interaction of coatings with substrate surface

Metallization techniques based on electroless plating are used to coat SiC_p/Al composite materials. The directly palladium chloride (PdCl₂) solutions in HCl is used to render the surface of such non-conductive substrates catalytically active towards metal deposition in the electroless plating solution. The microstructures of Ni-coated composites provided by scanning electron microscope (SEM) bring light into the palladium activation and electroless coating process. Also, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Line-scan have allowed to monitor the chemical and compositional surface modifications of activated and coated SiC_p/Al composites, as well as to understand the mechanisms of the catalyst (palladium species) chemisorption on the composites surface and the interaction mechanisms of Ni layer with the SiC_p/Al composites. The experimental results show that a nickel-substrate bonding action takes place during plating. Ni atom existing on the surface of the composites can partially obtain electrons from metals Al of the SiC_p/Al composites when the substrate is embedded in the Ni layers, that is, the orbital interaction through the mutual overlap of the electronic orbits does exist in the interfacial regions between the coated Ni atoms and composites substrate instead of the mechanical-interlocked form. On the basis of the evidence, a model of electroless Ni deposition on SiC_p/Al composites is submitted including Pd activation and Ni deposition processes to describe the formation of catalytic centers and the growth of deposited layer. The deposition model reveals that metal-substrate bond plays an important role in the high adhesion strength between the Ni coatings and the composites.     

Synchrotron radiation studies of mass-selected Fe nanoclusters deposited in situ

A portable UHV-compatible gas aggregation cluster source, capable of depositing clean mass-selected nanoclusters in situ, has been used at synchrotron radiation facilities to study the magnetic behaviour of exposed and Co-coated Fe clusters in the size range 250 to 540 atoms. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) studies of isolated and exposed 250-atom clusters show a 10% enhancement in the spin magnetic moment and a 75% enhancement in the orbital magnetic moment relative to bulk Fe. The spin moment monotonically approaches the bulk value with increasing cluster size but the orbital moment does not measurably decay till the cluster size is above ∼ 400 atoms. The total magnetic moments for the supported particles though higher than the bulk value are less than those measured in free clusters. Coating the deposited particles with Co in situ increases the spin moment by a further 10% producing a total moment per atom close to the free cluster value. At low coverages the deposited clusters are super-paramagnetic at temperatures above 10 K but a magnetic remanence at higher temperature emerges as the cluster density increases and for cluster films with a thickness greater than 50 ?(i.e. 2-3 layers of clusters) the remanence becomes greater than that of an Fe film of the same thickness produced by a conventional deposition source. Thick cluster-assembled film show a strong in-plane anisotropy. Received 14 December 2000     

低能原子沉积在Pt(111)表面的分子动力学模拟

采用嵌入原子方法的原子间相互作用势,利用分子动力学方法模拟了六种贵金属原子(Ni,Pd,Pt,Cu,Ag,Au)分别在Pt(111)表面低能沉积的动力学过程.结果表明:随着入射能量从0.1eV升高到200eV,基体表面原子是按层迁移的,沉积过程对基体表面的影响和沉积原子在基体表层的作用均存在两个转变能量(ET1≈5eV,ET2≈70eV).当入射能量低于5eV时,基体表面几乎没有吸附原子和空位形成,沉积原子在基体表层几乎没有注入产生;当入射能量在5—70eV范围内时,沉积原子在基体表层有注入产生,其注入深度小于两个原子层,即为亚注入,此时吸附原子主要由基体表层原子形成,基体表面第三层以下没有空位形成;当入射能量高于70eV时,沉积原子的注入深度大于两个原子层,将会导致表面以下第三层形成空位,并且空位产额随入射能量的升高而急剧增加.基于分子动力学模拟的结果,对低能沉积作用下的薄膜生长以及最优沉积参数的选择进行了讨论.     

CEMS characterisation of Fe/high-κ oxide interfaces

The interfaces between Fe and different high-κ oxides are investigated by means of conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). Information on the magnetic ordering at the interface is obtained from the magnetic hyperfine splitting of the Mössbauer spectra. The reactivity of the Fe atoms at the interface (intermixing) is also estimated by CEMS. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR) provide additional information on the intermixing and different phases present at the interface. CEM-spectra show the presence of both ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases. CEMS and XRD results show that the Fe/HfO₂ and Fe/Al₂O₃ interfaces are the least reactive. The degree of intermixing between Fe and the high-κ oxide is determined by the oxide surface roughness.     

Local configurations and atomic intermixing in as-quenched and annealed Fe1−xCrx and Fe1−xMox ribbons

Local atomic configuration, phase composition and atomic intermixing in Fe-rich Fe_1?xCr_x and Fe_1?xMo_x ribbons (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15), of potential interest for high-temperature applications and nuclear devices, are investigated in this study in relation to specific processing and annealing routes. The Fe-based thin ribbons have been prepared by induction melting, followed by melt spinning and further annealed in He at temperatures up to 1250 °C. The complex structural, compositional and atomic configuration characterisation has been performed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The XRD analysis indicates the formation of the desired solid solutions with body-centred cubic (bcc) structure in the as-quenched state. The Mössbauer spectroscopy results have been analysed in terms of the two-shell model. The distribution of Cr/Mo atoms in the first two coordination spheres is not homogeneous, especially after annealing, as supported by the short-range order parameters. In addition, high-temperature annealing treatments give rise to oxidation of Fe (to haematite, maghemite and magnetite) at the surface of the ribbons. Fe_1?xCr_x alloys are structurally more stable than the Mo counterpart under annealing at 700 °C. Annealing at 1250 °C in He enhances drastically the Cr clustering around Fe nuclei.     

Alloy formation of Co/Ni/Pt(1 1 1)

The initial growth and alloy formation of ultrathin Co films deposited on 1 ML Ni/Pt(1 1 1) were investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). A sequence of samples of d_Co Co/1 ML Ni/Pt(1 1 1) (d_Co = 1, 2, and 3 ML) were prepared at room temperature, and then heated up to investigate the diffusion process. The Co and Ni atoms intermix at lower annealing temperature, and Co-Ni intermixing layer diffuses into the Pt substrate to form Ni-Co-Pt alloys at higher annealing temperature. The diffusion temperatures are Co coverage dependent. The evolution of UPS with annealing temperatures also shows the formation of surface alloys. Some interesting LEED patterns of 1 ML Co/1 ML Ni/Pt(1 1 1) show the formation of ordered alloys at different annealing temperature ranges. Further studies in the Curie temperature and concentration analysis, show that the ordered alloys corresponding to different LEED patterns are Ni_xCo_1−xPt and Ni_xCo_1−xPt₃. The relationship between the interface structure and magnetic properties was investigated.