QUANTUM-WELL STATES AND INTERFACE QUALITY IN CU CO(100)/CU(100) SYSTEM/

Quantum well states are observed in Cu films grown on magnetic fcc-Co( 100), using high-resolution photoemission. fcc-Co(100) films were obta ined by room temperature epitaxy on a Cu(100) substrate. Cu films of d ifferent thickness were grown stepwise on top of the fcc-Co(100) layer following two different preparation methods. In the first one, the fi rst deposition step was performed at 100 K, while the rest of the depo sition took place at room temperature. In the second method, the whole process was carried out at room temperature. The initial deposition a t low temperature produced an abrupt, non-reacted Cu-Co interface, whe reas the Co/Cu interface obtained in the second case was of less quali ty. High-quality quantum well states were observed only in the low-tem perature deposition case, revealing the importance of an abrupt interf ace in the confinement of the quantum well states. (C) 1998 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.