CHANGES OF MORPHOLOGY, STRUCTURE, AND MAGNETISM OF FE ON STEPPED CU(111)

We have studied the morphology, structure and magnetism of Fe films th ermally deposited on stepped Cu(lll) by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and magneto-optical Ker r effect (MOKE), At room temperature, in the submonolayer range Fe fil ms grow as quasi one-dimensional stripes along the upper step edges du e to a strong decoration effect. Between 1.4 and 1.8 monolayer coverag e the stripes percolate and become two-dimensional films. Between 2.3 and 2.7 monolayer coverage the films undergo a structural transition f rom fcc(lll) to bcc(110) with Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation. In the fee range the films have a low net magnetic moment, and a perpendicular ea sy magnetization axis. The magnetization switches to an in-plane high- moment phase correlated with the fee to bcc structural transformation.