Crystallography and morphology of the early stages of the growth of CoCu(111) by LEED and STM

We report on a quantitative investigation of the structure and morphology of ultrathin films of Co deposited on Cu(111) by an in situ combination of real space (STM) and diffraction (LEED) techniques. The film grows initially as bilayer islands with strict fcc stacking. part of them are covered by Cu. The lateral distribution of Co- and Cu-terminated domains as well as of uncovered patches is both quantitatively determined by intensity analysis and visualized by STM images. Their simultaneous presence correlates nicely to known magnetic properties of ultrathin films, in particular with the observed magnetic anisotropy.     

Ferromagnetic order and critical behavior at surfaces of ultrathin epitaxial films

The critical behavior, ferromagnetic order and magnetic anisotropies of ultrathin, epitaxial, magnetic films is studied using electron capture spectroscopy (ECS), which is capable of probing the long-ranged and short-ranged electron spin polarization (ESP) at the topmost surface layer of uncoated and coated magnetic structures. For all systems [Ni(100)/Cu(100), Ni(100)/NaCl(100), fcc Fe(111)/Cu(111), Fe(100)/Ag(100), Tb/Fe(100)/Ag(100), Fe(100)/Au(100), hcp Tb(0001)/W(110), Fe(110)/W(110), V(100)/Ag(100), Pd(100)/Ag(100), Pd/W(110)] investigated so far, ferromagnetic order is detected. It is found that the surface Curie temperatureT _Cs depends on film thicknessd. ECS data obtained at the surface of various systems reveal the existence ofT- andd-dependent magnetic anisotropies. Although for V(100)/Ag(100) the measured critical exponent=0.128 agrees very well with=1/8 predicted for the two-dimensional Ising model, for other systems, such as Fe(100)/Au(100), the measured value (0.25) is in disagreement with theoretical predictions. The experimental results are discussed within the framework of presently available experimental and theoretical data.     

Model pseudopotential for the Cu(110) surface

A method has been proposed for constructing the two-dimensional pseudopotential describing the electronic structure of the Cu(110) surface. This method can also be applied to construct the corresponding pseudopotentials for the (110) surface of a number of other face-centered cubic metals, such as Ag, Au, Al, Pd, and Pt. The electronic structure obtained can be used for fast calculations of single-particle and collective electron excitations both on the pure Cu(110) surface and on the surface covered with adatoms or ultrathin films of other metals.     

钴原子及其团簇在Rh(111)和Pd(111)表面的扫描隧道显微学研究

利用扫描隧道显微镜和扫描隧道谱(STM/STS)及单原子操纵,系统研究了单个钴原子(Co) 及其团簇在Rh (111)和Pd (111)两种表面的吸附和自旋电子输运性质. 发现单个Co原子在Rh (111)上有两种不同的稳定吸附位,分别对应于hcp和fcc空位, 他们的高度明显不同,在针尖的操纵下单个Co原子可以在两种吸附位之间相互转化. 在这两种吸附位的单个Co原子的STS谱的费米面附近都存在很显著的峰形结构, 经分析认为Rh (111)表面单个Co原子处于混价区,因此这一峰结构是d轨道共振 和近藤共振共同作用的结果.对于Rh (111)表面上的Co原子二聚体和三聚体, 其费米面附近没有观测到显著的峰,这可能是由于原子间磁交换相互作用 和原子间轨道杂化引起的体系态密度改变所共同导致.与Rh (111)表面不同, 在Pd (111)表面吸附的单个Co原子则表现出均一的高度.并且对于Pd (111)表面所有 单个Co原子及其二聚体和三聚体,在其STS谱的费米面附近均未探测到显著的电子结构, 表明Co原子吸附于Pd (111)表面具有与Rh (111)表面上不同的原子-衬底相互作用与自旋电子输运性质.     

Three-dimensional noncollinear antiferromagnetic order in single-crystalline FeMn ultrathin films

We present experimental evidence for a three-dimensional noncollinear antiferromagnetic spin structure in ultrathin single-crystalline fcc Fe50Mn50 layers using magnetic circular dichroism photoelectron emission microscopy and x-ray magnetic linear dichroism. Layer-resolved as-grown domain images of epitaxial trilayers grown on Cu(001) in which FeMn is sandwiched between ferromagnetic layers with different easy axes reveal the presence of antiferromagnetic spin components in the film plane and normal to the film plane. An FeMn spin structure with no collinear order in the film plane is consistent with the absence of x-ray magnetic linear dichroism in Fe L3 absorption in FeMn/Co bilayers.     

Electrodeposited cobalt films: hcp versus fcc nanostructuring and magnetic properties

The crystallographic structure and morphology of electrodeposited cobalt films on Au(111) is found to be very sensitive on the electrolyte pH value and on the overpotential applied during deposition. The samples, 2 to 500 nm thick, where characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron diffraction. The latter technique shows that the Co films grow in registry with the gold underlayer, reproducing the Au(111) texture. During the first stage of growth and depending on overpotential and pH value, either continuous hcp Co films or hcp Co islands are formed. Only the latter growth mode leads to an out of plane magnetization with 100% of remanence. Increasing the thickness, fcc Co becomes the prevailing phase. Eventually the fcc to hcp ratio saturates at the same value regardless the overpotential. The thickness for which the equilibrium fcc to hcp ratio is obtained as well as the sample structure and morphology before saturation, depend strongly on the overpotential value. In any case, the predominance of the fcc Co phase leads to an in plane magnetization of the thick samples. This study opens up new opportunities of engineering the properties of electrodeposited cobalt films. Received 29 February 2000 and Received in final form 3 July 2000     

Frozen low-spin interface in ultrathin Fe films on Cu(111)

In ultrathin film systems, it is a major challenge to understand how a thickness-driven phase transition proceeds along the cross-sectional direction of the films. We use ultrathin Fe films on Cu(111) as a prototype system to demonstrate how to obtain such information using an in situ scanning tunneling microscope and the surface magneto-optical Kerr effect. The magnetization depth profile of a thickness-driven low-spin to high-spin magnetic phase transition is deduced from the experimental data, which leads us to conclude that a low-spin Fe layer at the Fe/Cu interface stays live upon the phase transition. The magnetically live low-spin phase is believed to be induced by a frozen fcc Fe layer that survives a thickness-driven fcc-->bcc structural transition.     

Influence of the surface morphology of single-crystal Si(111) substrates on the magnetic properties of epitaxial cobalt films

The epitaxial films Co(111)/Cu(111)-R30°/Si(111) have been grown on the atomically smooth and vicinal Si(111) surfaces. The roughnesses of the substrate and the cobalt film have been determined using scanning tunneling microscopy. The dependence of the coercive force has been investigated as a function of the azimuthal angle. The dependence of the magnetic anisotropy and the coercive force on the surface roughness has been determined. It has been shown that, in the epitaxial cobalt films deposited on the atomically smooth silicon surfaces, crystalline anisotropy of the 〈110〉 type leads to the isotropy of the magnetization reversal processes. The step-induced uniaxial anisotropy has been observed upon deposition on the vicinal surfaces. The films deposited on the atomically smooth surfaces have a complex domain structure.     

Angle-resolved photoemission study of Pd(111) and Co/Pd(111)

Electronic structure of epitaxial Co films on Pd(111) has been investigated as a function of the Co overlayer thickness, by using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). It is found that experimental band structures for Pd(111) and work functions for Co/Pd(111) agree reasonably well with the results of band structure calculations. Compared to Pd(111), valence band ARPES spectra of Co/Pd(111) support the existence of the induced magnetic polarization of Pd atoms near the interface, suggesting large hybridization between Co 3d and Pd 4d states near the interface.     

Magnetic properties of Co films grown on the modified Si(111) surface

The magnetic properties and domain structure of epitaxial Co films grown on a modified Si(111) surface were studied. First, the processes of growth of copper silicide nanostructures on the Si(111) surface were investigated. Copper silicide clusters were formed on the Si(111)-5.55 × 5.55-Cu surface at a substrate temperature of ～550°C. It was established that the nanostructures formed have a perfect faceting, and the lateral edges and long wire side are oriented along the Si〈110〉 crystallographic directions. Then, Co films were deposited on the formed structures. The investigation of the coercive force and reduced remanent magnetization showed that the Co(111) films have the sixth-order crystalline anisotropy. It was found that the coercive force of the Co films deposited on the Cu buffer layer is approximately six times less than that of the Co films deposited on the Si(111)-5.55 × 5.55-Cu surface and Si(111)?5.55 × 5.55-Cu/(Cu-Si) cluster surface.     

Band structure and density of States effects in co-based magnetic tunnel junctions

Utilizing Co/Al(2)O(3)/Co magnetic tunnel junctions with Co electrodes of different crystalline phases, a clear relationship between electrode crystal structure and junction transport properties is presented. For junctions with one fcc(111) textured and one polycrystalline (polyphase and polydirectional) Co electrode, a strong asymmetry is observed in the magnetotransport properties, while when both electrodes are polycrystalline the magnetotransport is essentially symmetric. These observations are successfully explained within a model based on ballistic tunneling between the calculated band structures (density of states) of fcc-Co and hcp-Co.     

Microscopic properties of Co/Pd multilayers studied by ferromagnetic and nuclear magnetic resonance

The microscopic properties of Co/Pd multilayers were studied by ferromagnetic and nuclear magnetic resonance. The anisotropy of the layer is found to decrease for decreasing Co sublayer thickness and a switching of the magnetic preferential direction occurs below 8Å. The anisotropy is also a function of the Pd layer thickness: below 20Å it increases with decreasing thickness. This is attributed to a decrease in the Pd/Co interface contribution to the anisotropy. Hyperfine field spectra show the layers with [111] texture to be mainly polycrystalline fcc. The spectra shift to lower hyperfine fields upon decreasing Co sublayer thickness. This is attributed to a decrease in the magnetic moment caused by stretching of the Co lattice due to neighbouring Pd atoms. The results were checked by experiments on almost single phased [100] fcc Co/Pd multilayers. The similarity with the results on the [111] layers suggests that the expansion of the Co lattice is nearly isotropic.     

溅射制备的Co/V多层膜微观结构特征与铁磁共振研究

研究了用射频磁控溅射方法制备的［Co(1.5nm)/V(d_V)］₂₀(0.5nm≤d_V≤4nm)多层膜的结构和磁性.用X射线衍射、透射电子显微镜、高分辨率透射电子显微镜等手段对其结构的分析,表明它们层状周期结构良好,沿膜的生长方向具有fcc Co(111)和bcc V(110)织构,且是由小的柱状晶粒构成的多晶薄膜.界面一定程度的合金化,使其成为成分调制周期结构,也是它们的一个结构特征.由其铁磁共振谱计算得到较小的g因子和4πM_{e 关键词：}     

Geometric and magnetic properties of Co/Pd system

We measured geometric and magnetic properties of Co films on the Pd(1 1 1) surface by X-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD), X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) at the Co L_2,3 edge, and the surface magneto-optical Kerr effect (SMOKE) measurements. Co thin films are found to grow incoherently with fcc island structure on the smooth Pd(1 1 1) substrate. Comparison of MCD and SMOKE measurements of Co thin films grown on rough and smooth Pd(1 1 1) surfaces suggests that perpendicular remnant magnetization and Co orbital moment are enhanced by the rough interface. Pd capping layer also induces perpendicular orbital moment enhancement. These observations indicate the influence of hybridization between Co 3d and Pd 4d at the interface on the magnetic anisotropy.     

Structural,magnetic, and electrical properties of thin film Pd/Co layered structures

We report on properties of layered coherent structures of Pd and Co, prepared by RF sputtering. X-ray diffraction analysis characterizes these films as having a well-ordered periodic structure (periods λ in the range 10A < λ < 80A) of stacked (111) planes of fcc Co and Pd. Room temperature magnetic properties were measured with a vibrating sample magnetometer. All films are ferromagnetic, with a magnetic moment in excess of that attributable to Co. This excess, which increases as λ decreases, is interpreted as induced ferromagnetism in the Pd layers. The in-plane magnetization is harder for smaller values of λ and appears to depend mainly on the thickness of the Co layers. The in-plane electrical resistivity was measured in the range 2K–300K by a four-electrode method. Below 40K, the resistivity is dominated by residual resistivity; above this temperature, its rise is attributed mainly to the resistivities of bulk Pd and Co. The λ-dependence of the resistivity is described by a model of interfacial scattering of electrons. Evidence for the presence of coherency strains at small λ is present in the x-ray data, the magnetization behavior, as well as in the interfacial scattering mechanism deduced from the analysis of the resistivity.     

Surface magnetism and electronic structure of ultrathin fcc Fe films

Spin- and angle-resolved photoemission show that a very similar development of the electronic structure occurs in fcc Fe films grown on Co(100) and on Cu(100). On both substrates the electronic structure displays distinct changes as a function of the thickness which correlate with the magnetic properties of the film. The measurement of the photoelectron spin polarization demonstrates that the surface region of Fe films on Co(100) as well as on Cu(100) is magnetically alive at all thicknesses.     

Influence of layer thickness on the structure and the magnetic properties of Co/Pd epitaxial multilayer films

Co/Pd epitaxial multilayer films were prepared on Pd(111)_fcc underlayers hetero-epitaxially grown on MgO(111)_B1 single-crystal substrates at room temperature by ultra-high vacuum RF magnetron sputtering. In-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction shows that the in-plane lattice spacing of Co on Pd layer gradually decreases with increasing the Co layer thickness, whereas that of Pd on Co layer remains unchanged during the Pd layer formation. The CoPd alloy phase formation is observed around the Co/Pd interface. The atomic mixing is enhanced for thinner Co and Pd layers in multilayer structure. With decreasing the Co and the Pd layer thicknesses and increasing the repetition number of Co/Pd multilayer film, stronger perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is observed. The relationships between the film structure and the magnetic properties are discussed.     

Structural study of Co/Pd(1 1 1) and CO/Co/Pd(1 1 1) by surface X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

The structure of the Co thin films on Pd(1 1 1) and the effect of the CO adsorption on Co thin films were studied by Co K-edge surface X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The polarization dependences of the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra indicate that Co thin films grow in the fcc stacking mode on Pd(1 1 1) up to 12 ML. The analysis of the nearest neighbor shell shows little mechanical strain at the interface, indicating that Co atom does not grow pseudomorphically on Pd(1 1 1). There is no alloy-like structure at the interface. CO adsorption causes no structural change of the Co thin films but modifies the Co surface electronic state. These structural studies provide deep insight in the magnetic property of the Co thin films on Pd(1 1 1).     

Calculation of the surface energy of fcc metals with modified embedded-atom method

The surface energies for 38 surfaces of fcc metals Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Pd, Pt, A1, Pb, Rh and Ir have been calculated by using the modified embedded-atom method. The results show that, for Cu, Ag, Ni, A1, Pb and Ir, the average values of the surface energies are very close to the polycrystalline experimental data. For all fcc metals, as predicted, the close-packed (111) surface has the lowest surface energy. The surface energies for the other surfaces increase linearly with increasing angle between the surfaces (hkl) and (111). This can be used to estimate the relative values of the surface energy.     

Ni,Pd和Pt的表面应力

半经验的修正嵌入原子方法用于Ni，Pd和Pt的低指数面的表面应力计算，得到了与第一原理计算相符合的结果．给出了（110）表面［110］方向的应力是［001］方向应力的两倍左右；阐明了应力各向异性是所有fc金属（110）面的一般特性．预言了Pd和Pt（100）的表面应力的大小． 关键词：