INTERFACE STRUCTURE AND SURFACE-MORPHOLOGY OF (CO, FE, NI) CU/SI(100)THIN-FILMS/

We have examined bilayer Co/Cu, Fe/Cu, and Ni/Cu films deposited by mo lecular-beam epitaxy on hydrogen-terminated [100] silicon substrates. The magnetic metal/copper interface was examined by atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy and compared with the surface morphol ogy as depicted by atomic force microscopy. The general orientation re lationships across the magnetic metal/copper interfaces were found to be: [001]Co, Ni parallel to[001]Cu; (010)Co, Ni parallel to(010)Cu and [001]Fe parallel to[001]Cu; (110)Fe parallel to(200)Cu. The latter sy stem is equivalent to the [1(1) over bar1$]Fe parallel to[011]Cu and ( 110)Fe parallel to(100)Cu Pitsch relationship, as has been reported ea rlier. Furthermore, there was a general correlation between interfacia l and surface roughness, indicating that the initial interface charact er is propagated throughout the film during growth. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.