FERROMAGNETISM AND REACTIVITY OF FE DEPOSITED ON GaAs(001) BY MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Iron layers are grown on GaAs(001) single crystal wavers by magnetron sputtering and characterized by magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that all deposited layers, starting with 2 nm thickness, are ferromagnetic at room temperature with a relatively high coercitive field (500 to 750 Oe). The average Fe magnetic moment is larger for the thinnest Fe film deposited, of about 0.52 Bohr magnetons per Fe atom. The average Fe magnetic moment decreases to 0.26 Bohr magnetons, then to 0.17 Bohr magnetons for 4 and 8 nm, resepctively. XPS evidenced that the outermost Fe layers are oxidized; however, the thinnest Fe film presented the lower oxidation state. We may connect this reaction with Fe-As bonds, resulting in a nonferromagnetic interface compound. Indeed, XPS depth profiling of the 8 nm sample evidenced the formation of a very thin (about 1.4 nm) Fe metal layer immediately at the interface with GaAs. In this layer, Fe may reach an atomic magnetic moment as high as 1 Bohr magneton.