EPITAXIAL-GROWTH OF OMEGA-TITANIUM ON THE (111) SURFACE OF ALPHA-IRON

omega-Ti films of trigonal structure are grown epitaxially on the (111 ) surface of alpha-Fe at 300 K by electron beam evaporation in UHV. Th e omega-Ti films are oriented with the (0001) plane parallel to the al pha-Fe(111) plane and the omega-Ti [2<(11)over bar>0] direction in the alpha-Fe [1 (1) over bar 0] direction in the plane of the substrate. The second-nearest-neighbor atomic interaction is believed responsible for the formation of omega-Ti at the interface. The relatively thick omega-Ti film (40 nm) is a result of the small energy difference betwe en omega-Ti and the competing hcp-Ti.