Growth of (100) Al/Fe and Fe/Al/Fe layers using the technique of metal-metal epitaxy on silicon

Abstract

(100)-oriented Al films, 1000 Å thick, have been grown on a (100) Fe layer near room temperature with the technique of metal-metal epitaxy on silicon. The technique uses a (100) Cu layer deposited epitaxially on (100) Si as the seed, followed by sequential epitaxy of Pd and Fe, before the deposition of Al. Further deposition of Fe on the grown (100) Al film retains the (100) epitaxial relation, resulting in a (100)-oriented Fe/Al/Fe/Pd/Cu/Si structure. The mutual epitaxy of Al and Fe in the (100) orientation thus enables the growth of (100)-oriented Al-Fe periodic structures using such a technique. Attempts at growing (100) Al films directly on several other seed layers, including Cu, Pd, and Au, have all failed.