The effect of GaAs(001) substrate roughness on the magnetic properties of epitaxial Fe films

The effect of GaAs(001) surface roughness on the magnetic properties of MBE-grown Fe films having a thickness t in the interval from 12 to 140 Å is investigated by the ferromagnetic resonance method. The films were deposited at room temperature with rates of 9 and 3 Å/min. For films grown on substrates with the rms deviation of the roughness σ≈10 and 30 Å, the spectrum is essentially dependent on the relationship between t and σ. At t≤σ and t≥3σ, a single absorption line is observed, whereas at σ≤t≤3σ, two absorption lines are present. These features of the spectra are related to the island growth of the films and the influence of roughness on island coalescence.