M\"{o}ssbauer Spectrometry study of Fe$_{x}$Si$_{1-x}$ thin films

ORAL

Abstract

Fe$_{3}$Si is ferromagnetic and potentially half-metallic and therefore of high interest for spintronics applications. Below 75 at.{\%} Fe, a homogeneous metastable structure can be grown and leads to a tunable set of magnetic and electrical properties. We are studying Fe-Si thin films with an Fe concentration ranging from 55 to 80 at.{\%} to determine the different structural phases that can form, their role on the Fe magnetic moment, and combined influence on the electronic band structure of the alloy. This work presents the $^{57}$Fe Conversion Electron M\"{o}ssbauer Spectrometry measurements obtained on 3 different samples: two epitaxial samples (Fe$_{78}$Fe$_{22}$ and Fe$_{65}$Si$_{35})$ grown on (100) MgO substrates, and an amorphous Fe$_{65}$Si$_{35}$ sample grown on amorphous SiN$_{x}$/Si substrates. Different Fe sites and Fe magnetic moments are observed. These studies enable differentiation between the role of composition and that of the long-range structural order.

*This work was supported by the DOE.

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Authors

  • Catherine Bordel

    • Department of Physics, University of California Berkeley, Groupe de Physique des Mat\'eriaux, Universit\'e de Rouen, France

  • Julie Karel

    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley

  • Jean Juraszek

    • Groupe de Physique des Mat\'eriaux, Universit\'e de Rouen, France

  • Frances Hellman

    • Departments of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley