https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20147504010
Formation of Sm(Co1–xNix)5 epitaxial thin films on Cu(111) underlayers
1 Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
2 Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714, Japan
a Corresponding author: m-yamada@futamoto.elect.chuo-u.ac.jp
Published online: 3 July 2014
Sm17(Co1–xNix)83 (at. %, x = 0, 0.2, 0.8, 1) alloy thin films are prepared on Cu(111) underlayers hetero-epitaxially grown on MgO(111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of substrate temperature and Ni/Co composition on the growth behavior and the detailed resulting film structure are investigated. Formation of RT5 ordered phase is enhanced with increasing the substrate temperature and the Ni composition. The long-range order degrees of Sm17Co83, Sm17(Co0.8Ni0.2)83, Sm17(Co0.2Ni0.8)83, and Sm17Ni83 films deposited at 500 °C are estimated to be 0.77, 0.82, 0.89, and 0.97, respectively. The Sm17(Co1–xNix)83 films with RT5 structure consist of two types of epitaxial (0001) variant whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 30° each other. With increasing the Ni content ratio of x from 0 to 1, the volume ratio of two variants is varied from 53:47 to 94:6. The nucleation of only one-type variant with a smaller lattice mismatch with respect to Cu underlayer is promoted with increasing the Ni content ratio.
© Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2014
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