Effect of growth temperature on the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of Fe films on GaN(0Â 0Â 0Â 1)

Heteroepitaxial Fe films on GaN(0 0 0 1) are grown at 50, 350 and 500 °C by molecular beam epitaxy. The structural properties of these films are studied in situ by reflection high-energy electron diffraction ϕ scans and ex situ by electron backscatter diffraction and longitudinal as well as azimuthal X-ray scans. Their morphological and magnetic properties are investigated by atomic force microscopy and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, respectively. Higher growth temperatures lead to a clear improvement of the structural quality of the films while retaining their morphological integrity. Furthermore, the coercivity of the films increases significantly with growth temperature.