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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
Different orientations of PdMn films and different stacking orders of PdMn and Fe on MgO(001) were studied. At low temperatures (T< 280°C) dominated by the kinetics of growth, a-axis orientated [PdMn(100)/Fe(001)/MgO(001)] was stabilized whilst c-axis [PdMn(001)/Fe(001)/MgO(001)] were obtained at higher temperatures (T> 300°C). The inverted structures, Fe(001)/PdMn(001)/MgO(001) and Fe(001)/PdMn(100)/MgO(001), were obtained epitaxially for the first time. The magnetic exchange coupling (He) of these PdMn/Fe bilayers show a wide range in values: ∼ 10 Oe for annealed a-axis samples, ∼ 33 Oe for c-axis normal samples and ∼ 68 Oe for c-axis inverted samples. The interface roughness of these samples was characterized by energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). The orientation relationships were confirmed by x-ray diffraction and TEM. The possible origins for the He difference in a-axis and c-axis growth samples and the normal and inverted samples are discussed.