Epitaxial Growth of (100)-Oriented β-FeSi2 Thin Films on Insulating Substrates

Abstract

Epitaxial β-FeSi2 thin films were grown on insulating substrates by rf magnetron sputtering. (100)-Oriented β-FeSi2 films were epitaxially grown on (100) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and (001) Al2O3 substrates. The epitaxial relationship of the β-FeSi2 film with the (100) YSZ substrate was the same as that with the (100) Si substrate. On the (001) Al2O3 substrate, the epitxial film had a threefold symmetry domain structure, which has not been reported on a film grown on a Si substrate. Epitaxial growth of (100)-oriented β-FeSi2 film was affected by not only lattice mismatch but also atomic or ionic matching between β-FeSi2 and substrate and requires substrates consisting of either a single element or only cations.