Molecular beam epitaxy and magnetic properties of EuS films on silicon

Abstract

EuS single crystalline films were grown epitaxially on silicon (111), (100) and (110) crystal substrate planes. By Rutherford backscattering techniques they are shown to achieve the stoichiometric composition and crystal perfection expected with molecular beam epitaxy. The angular dependence of the remagnetization process in the film plane confirms the expected crystal symmetry and magnetic anisotropy. The substantial, but different, reductions in the Curie temperatures of EuS-(111), -(110) and -(100) films by up to 15% have been attributed to the largely different thermal expansion coefficients of Si and EuS.