Influence of growth morphology on the Néel temperature of CrRu thin films and heterostructures

A. R.E. Prinsloo, H. A. Derrett, O. Hellwig, E. E. Fullerton, H. L. Alberts, N. van den Berg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Dimensionality effects on epitaxial and polycrystalline Cr1-xRux alloy thin films and in Cr/Cr-Ru heterostructures are reported. X-ray analysis on Cr0.9965Ru0.0035 epitaxial films indicates an increase in the coherence length in growth directions (1 0 0) and (1 1 0) with increasing thickness (d), in the range 20≤d≤300 nm. Atomic force microscopy studies on these films shows pronounced vertical growth for d>50 nm, resulting in the formation of columnar structures. The Néel temperatures (TN) of the Cr0.9965Ru0.0035 films show anomalous behaviour as a function of d at thickness d≈50 nm. It is interesting to note that this thickness corresponds to that for which a change in film morphology occurs. Experiments on epitaxial Cr1-xRux thin films, with 0≤x≤0.013 and d=50 nm, give TN-x curves that correspond well with that of bulk Cr1-xRux alloys. Studies on Cr/Cr0.9965Ru0.0035 superlattices prepared on MgO(1 0 0), with the Cr layer thickness varied between 10 and 50 nm, keeping the Cr0.9965Ru0.0035 thickness constant at 10 nm, indicate a sharp decrease in TN as the Cr separation layers reaches a thickness of 30 nm; ascribed to spin density wave pinning in the Cr layers for d<30 nm by the adjacent CrRu layers.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1126-1129
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials
Volume322
Issue number9-12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2010

Keywords

  • Cr alloy
  • Electrical resistivity
  • Epitaxial thin film
  • Heterostructure
  • Spin density wave

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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