Structural and magnetic properties of ferrimagnetic ε-phase Mn4N and antiferromagnetic ζ-phase Mn10N thin films on MgO(001)

• Ferri- and antiferromagnetic MnxNy phases are selectively grown on MgO(001).
• Substrate growth temperature controls Mn composition and crystalline MnxNy phase.
• Magnetic domain structure depends on substrate temperature and phase purity.

Single phase ε-Mn4N and ζ-Mn10N thin films are grown on MgO(001) using molecular beam epitaxy. The films are identified and characterized using reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, back scattered electron scanning electron microscopy, atomic/magnetic force microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. These films are found to be highly smooth with root-mean-squared roughnesses 3.39 nm and below. The quality of ε-Mn4N grown is strongly dependent on substrate temperature during growth. Epitaxial growth of substantial grains composed of the antiferromagnetic η-phase Mn3N2 side by side with ferrimagnetic ε-phase grains is observed when growth temperature is below 480 °C. Ising domains isolated within areas roughly 0.5 μm across are observed in the ferrimagnetic ε-phase grains of samples consisting of a mix of η- and ε-phase grains. Magnetic domains following semi-continuous paths, which are 0.7–7.2 μm across, are observed in single phase ε-Mn4N. Measurements of the ζ-phase detail the structure and magnetism of the material as high Mn content γ-type ζ-phase with a regular surface corrugation along the [100]-direction and antiferromagnetic.