A comparative study of iron films on II-VI and III-V semiconductors

The incorporation of magnetic layers in semiconductor heterostructures is a n increasingly active area of study. Especially the growth of ferromagnetic iron is an attractive field of investigation. A new UHV chamber has been a ttached to an MBE system to study the growth of iron films on GaAs as well as on II-VI semiconductors. Electron beam evaporation of iron was used, a m ethod which provides clean and controlled deposition of iron at relatively low deposition rates. Since interfacial effects are expected to play an imp ortant role in thin-film heterostructures resulting in a broad range of mag netic properties depending on film thickness and deposition conditions, we present a comparative study of iron on III-V and on II-VI semiconductors. G rowth of Fe-films on ZnSe epilayers and bulk GaAs substrates are investigat ed to determine the mode of film growth as well as structural properties of the films. Films are characterized by various measurements superconducting quantum interference device to determine magnetic properties, X-ray diffra ction to study crystallography and also optical methods for investigation o f the surface and the uppermost region.