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Observation of an Exponential FeSi Spacer Thickness Dependence of the Antiferromagnetic Exchange Coupling in Fe/Si-Based Multilayers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

J.T. Kohlhepp ,
J.J. De Vries ,
F.J.A. Den Broeder ,
R. Coehoorn ,
R.M. Jungblut ,
A. Reinders ,
G.J. Strijkers ,
A.A. Smits  and
W.J. Mde Jonge
J.T. Kohlhepp
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT), P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
J.J. De Vries
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT), P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
F.J.A. Den Broeder
Affiliation:
Philips Research Laboratories, Prof. Holstlaan 4, 5656 AA Eindhoven, The Netherlands
R. Coehoorn
Affiliation:
Philips Research Laboratories, Prof. Holstlaan 4, 5656 AA Eindhoven, The Netherlands
R.M. Jungblut
Affiliation:
Philips Research Laboratories, Prof. Holstlaan 4, 5656 AA Eindhoven, The Netherlands
A. Reinders
Affiliation:
Philips Research Laboratories, Prof. Holstlaan 4, 5656 AA Eindhoven, The Netherlands
G.J. Strijkers
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT), P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
A.A. Smits
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT), P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
W.J. Mde Jonge
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT), P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Abstract

The magnetic interlayer exchange coupling in Fe/Si-based thin film structures employing sputtered multilayers with variations of Si-alloyed Fe for the magnetic layers and Fe-alloyed Si spacers, as well as wedge-shaped MBE-grown Fe/Si/Fe sandwich samples has been systematically studied. From structural and magnetic analysis it is concluded that ultrathin Si and FexSi100-x (x < 50) spacer layers transform into a crystalline iron suicide with a composition close to Fe50Si50. The exchange coupling mediated by this metallic suicide is antiferromagnetic and depends on the spacer thickness in an exponential, i.e. non-oscillatory, manner with a universial characteristic decay length of 3–4 Å at room temperature. This observation can be qualitatively explained within the framework of a recent coupling theory on the premise that the FeSi interlayer has the metastable CsCl(B2)-structure.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 475: Symposium M – Magnetic Ultrathin Films, Multilayers, and Surfaces – 1997 , 1997 , 593
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

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