Sm-Co thin films were prepared on Cu(111) single-crystal underlayers by changing the Sm composition from 12 to 35 at.% and the effects of Co/Sm composition on the ordered phase formation were investigated. The epitaxial SmCo 5 thin films were obtained for all samples. The SmCo 5 epitaxial layer grown on Cu underlayer has two different types of domains whose orientations are rotated around film normal by 30 degrees to each other. Cu atoms substitute a part of the Co sites in the SmCo 5 structure, and an alloy compound of Sm(Co,Cu) 5 phase was formed for all samples. The Sm(Co,Cu) 5 phase was more Cu enriched with increasing the Sm composition. The Cu atom diffusion into Sm-Co layer plays an important role in assisting the formation of Sm(Co,Cu) 5 ordered phase.Index Terms-Cu(111) single-crystal underlayer, epitaxial growth, ordered phase, SmCo 5 thin film.
SmCo 5 ( 0001 ) epitaxial films were prepared on Cu(111) single-crystal underlayers formed on Al2O3(0001) substrates at 500 °C. The nucleation and growth mechanism of (0001)-oriented SmCo5 crystal on Cu(111) underlayer is investigated and a method to control the nucleation is proposed. The SmCo5 epitaxial thin film formed directly on Cu underlayer consists of two types of domains whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 30° each other. By introducing a thin Co seed layer on the Cu underlayer, a SmCo5(0001) single-crystal thin film is successfully obtained. Nucleation of SmCo5 crystal on Cu underlayer seems controllable by varying the interaction between the Cu underlayer and the SmCo5 layer.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.