Magnetic-field-dependent morphology of self-organized Fe on stepped Si(111) surfaces

The present work reports on Fe thin films grown on vicinal Si(111) substrates via rf magnetron sputtering. The dependencies of the growth mode and magnetic properties of the obtained iron nanostructures on both crystallographic surface orientation and on the direction of the very weak stray magnetic field from the magnetron gun were studied. Scanning tunneling microscopy images showed strong dependence of the Fe grains' orientation on the stray field direction in relation to the substrate's steps demonstrating that, under appropriately directed magnetic field, Si surfaces can be used as templates for well-defined self-assembled iron nanostructures. Magneto-optical Kerr effect hysteresis loops showed an easy-axis coercivity almost one order of magnitude smaller for the film deposited with stray field applied along the steps, accompanied with a change in the magnetization reversal mode. Phenomenological models involving coherent rotation and/or domain-wall unpinning were used for the interpretation of these results.