Properties of Fe/Si multilayered films with very thin sublayers

In order to investigate the characteristics of spontaneously formed silicid e layers in Fe/Si multilayered films (MLF), the MLF with ultrathin (less th an 10 Angstrom) Fe and Si sublayers were deposited, and their structural, m agnetic and optical properties were investigated. Analysis of the experimen atal results shows that the resultant structure is close to an amorphous an d semiconducting epsilon -FeSi (or beta -FeSi2). A post-annealing of the as -deposited Fe/Si MLF enhances the crystallinity of the films, but the optic al properties do not change substantially. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.