Evidence of intermixing at the Fe/Al interface in multilayers produced by metal vapor deposition at room temperature

[Al/Fe]n multilayers have been produced by metal vapor deposition on an SiO2 substrate. X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Fe K-edge has been used as a local probe capable of describing the first stages of interface formation. Absorption data clearly indicate the formation of an iron aluminide at the interface below a deposited iron thickness of 0.9 nm