| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1682412 | Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms | 2015 | 6 Pages |
•Si capping layer was deposited on Fe layer with O2/Ar ion beam bombardment.•Structure deformation and grain re-orientation was observed after bombardment.•FeO, Fe2O3, SiO2, and FeSi were formed in the interface, as proved by XPS.•The interface layer resulted in magnetic coercivity enhancement at low temperature.•Fe–O changed to antiferromagnetic at 10 K, establishing exchange coupling with Fe.
Si/Fe and SiO2/Fe thin-film heterostructures are commonly seen in magnetic multilayer devices, whose magnetic properties are strongly influenced by intermixing at the interfaces. In this paper, Si-oxide/Fe bilayers were formed by depositing Si on Fe with in situ O2/Ar ion-beam bombardment during the Si deposition. The surface oxidation conditions were altered by applying different O2/Ar ratios (0–41%) in the ion-beam. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies, and the crystalline structures were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The formation of Fe–O, Fe–Si and Si–O bonds at the interface of the O2/Ar ion-beam bombarded Si-oxide/Fe bilayers was evidenced by X-ray photoemission spectra. FeO, Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 at the interface resulted in a marked increase in the magnetic coercivity at low temperatures, as characterized by magnetometry.
