Abstract
We grow monocrystalline Fe(001) films and Fe∕Si∕Fe(001) trilayers by ion-beam sputter epitaxy on GaAs(001) and MgO(001) substrates. Ion-beam sputtering parameters such as substrate presputtering time, substrate temperature, beam voltage, and target angle are optimized for 10-nm-thick Fe(001) films with respect to epitaxial growth and magnetic properties. In situ low-energy electron diffraction patterns confirm the epitaxial and monocrystalline nature of the sputtered films, surprisingly even on untreated and thus oxidized substrates. The magneto-optical Kerr effect and ferromagnetic resonance are employed to investigate the magnetic properties, and the structural properties are characterized by atomic force microscopy and x-ray reflectivity measurements. Using the optimized set of parameters that yields the best magnetic properties for single Fe films on GaAs, we deposit epitaxial Fe∕Si∕Fe(001) structures and observe antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling for epitaxially sputtered Fe∕Si∕Fe(001) trilayers on GaAs(001). The total coupling strength reaches values of up to 2mJ∕m2 at a Si thickness of 15Å.
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