Abstract
Krypton ion irradiation was carried out on Fe3O4 epitaxial thin films grown on MgO (001) substrates. The spinel structure (Fd3¯m) of Fe3O4 was found to be transformed into another structure as a result of the ion irradiation without any loss of the epitaxial relationship with the MgO substrate. Both total film thickness and, therefore, the composition ratio between Fe and O remained the same even after the ion irradiation process, as confirmed by both cross-sectional transmission electron microscope images and Rutherford backscattering analysis. An x-ray diffraction experiment revealed that the irradiated crystal possessed a rocksalt structure (Fm3¯m), with the lattice constant being approximately half of that of Fe3O4. Ion irradiation, thus, gave rise to a topotactic crystal transformation to wüstite with a composition of Fe0.75O, which is a metastable phase of iron oxides.
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Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films
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