Effect of a MgO interlayer on the structural and magnetic properties of Cosub 2Crsub 0.6Fesub 0.4Al thin films epitaxially grown on GaAs substrates

摘要

The effect of a MgO interlayer on the structural and magnetic properties of Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al (CCFA) thin films epitaxially grown on GaAs substrates by sputtering was investigated. When the MgO interlayer thickness was 1.0 nm or less, the CCFA films were grown with a cube-on-cube relation to GaAs and no significant decrease in either the x-ray diffraction intensity or saturation magnetization was observed. In contrast, when the MgO thickness was 1.5 nm or more, the CCFA film was rotated by 45° in the (001) plane with respect to GaAs, and both the x-ray diffraction intensity and saturation magnetization decreased. All samples showed strong magnetic anisotropy, in which a uniaxial anisotropy with an easy axis of [110]GaAs or [1−10]GaAs dominated with a slight cubic anisotropy having an easy axis of〈110〉CCFA superimposed. ©2007 American Institute of Physics