학술논문

Suppression of interfacial intermixing between MBE-grown Heusler alloy Ni2MnIn and (001)InAs or InAs-HEMT structures
Document Type
Article
Source
Journal of Crystal Growth. May2011, Vol. 323 Issue 1, p368-371. 4p.
Subject
*INTERFACES (Physical sciences)
*INTERMETALLIC compounds
*MOLECULAR beam epitaxy
*MODULATION-doped field-effect transistors
*SPINTRONICS
*INDIUM arsenide
*THIN films
*CURIE temperature
Language
ISSN
0022-0248
Abstract
Abstract: This paper reports on the application of a thin MgO interlayer as a diffusion barrier between a Ni2MnIn Heusler film and the substrate consisting of either (001)InAs or a high electron mobility transistor structure with an InAs channel layer. The functionality of the MgO interlayers is studied in dependence of their layer thicknesses. Our studies reveal that MgO interlayers are effective diffusion barriers, which in conjunction with post-growth annealing significantly improve the structural and magnetic properties of the Heusler films. For all as-grown samples, a Curie temperature of 170K was found indicating that the Ni2MnIn films are crystallized in the B2 phase. Post-growth annealing for 15h at 350°C of samples with MgO layer thicknesses smaller than 3nm leads to a strong decrease in magnetisation. This film degradation may be attributed to the intermixing of the Heusler films with substrate material through not-completely closed MgO films. For samples with a MgO interlayer thickness of 3nm, the Curie temperature increases up to 300K. This Curie temperature is close to the value reported for bulk Ni2MnIn films in the desired L21 phase. Furthermore, an increase in saturation magnetisation by a factor of 2.4 was observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]