A comprehensive study of the GaAs(001)/MnAs interface formation and of the
MnAs layer evolution during MBE growth has been performed in situ by RHEED
and RDS and after growth by TEM. For low growth rates and high As-4/Mn flux
ratios we find a perfect ((1) over bar 00) epitaxial orientation with [00.
1]MnAs parallel to[(1) over bar 10]GaAs (A-orientation). The formation of B
-domains with 90 degrees azimuthal rotation, detected during growth, is res
tricted to thicknesses up to 7 nm. TEM studies on the as-grown samples only
reflect the X-orientation connected with an atomically abrupt interface st
ructure. The large lattice mismatch between MnAs and GaAs is accommodated b
y the generation of misfit dislocations with different character along perp
endicular directions. Magnetization measurements revealed promising magneti
c properties. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.