Microstructure and dispersive optical parameters of iron films deposited by the thermal evaporation method

Abstract

In the present study, the structure, microrelief and optical properties of the iron films deposited onto silica and silicon substrates by thermal evaporation have been evaluated. The film top surface layer is a textured iron polycrystal, as it has been verified by RHEED. When iron is deposited onto silicon, the microrelief magnitude is below 12–15 nm, as measured by AFM. The dispersive optical constants n(λ) and k(λ) of the iron films have been defined over the spectral range of λ = 250–1100 nm by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The n(λ) and k(λ) parameters open a possibility of precise thin semi-transparent iron film thickness measurement by laser ellipsometry.