Temperature dependent epitaxial growth of ferromagnetic silicide Fe3Si on Ge substrate

Influences of growth temperature on low-temperature (60-400 deg. C) molecular beam epitaxy of the ferromagnetic silicide Fe3Si layer on Ge substrates were investigated. X-ray diffraction and reflective high-energy electron diffraction measurements suggested that Fe3Si layers were epitaxially grown on Ge at a temperature between 60 and 300 deg. C, while another phase layer was epitaxially grown at 400 deg. C. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy measurements revealed that Ge atoms began to diffuse into the Fe3Si layers above 300 deg. C, and the FeSiGe layer was formed at 400 oC. As a result, very low value (4.0%) of the minimum scattering yield (χmin) of the Fe3Si layers was obtained at 130 deg. C. Transmission electron microscopy measurements indicated that the interface of Fe3Si and Ge was atomically flat. In addition, analysis of the electron diffraction patterns of epitaxial Fe3Si layers confirmed the formation of DO3-type Fe3Si