Single-crystal epitaxial thin films of gamma-Fe2O3(001) have been grown on MgO(001) using oxygen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. the structure and magnetic properties of these filsm have been characterizec by a variety of techniques, including reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron/Auger electron diffraction (XPD/AED), vibrating sample magnetometry, and ferromagnetic resonance. Real-time RHEED reveals that the film growth occurs in a layer-by-layer fashion. The gamma-Fe2O3(001) film surface exhibits a (1x1) LEED pattern. The growth of gamma-Fe2O3 films at 450 degrees C is accompanied by sigificant MG outdiffusion. AED of Mg KLL Auger emission reveals that Mg substitutionally incorporates in the gamma-Fe2O3 lattice, occupying the octahedral sites. Magnetic moments are ~ 2300 G and ~4500 G for gamma-Fe2O3 films grown at 250 degrees C and 450 degrees C, respectively. The high magnetic moment for the films grown at 450 degrees C could be attributed to the high degree of structural order of the films and Mg substitution at octahedral sites.
Revised: August 19, 2019 |
Published: April 1, 1997
Citation
Gao Y., Y.J. Kim, S. Thevuthasan, S.A. Chambers, and P. Lubitz. 1997.Growth, Structure, and Magnetic Properties of gamma- Fe2O3 Epitaxial Films on MgO.Journal of Applied Physics 81, no. 7:3253-3256.PNNL-SA-28077.doi:10.1063/1.364355