Investigation of the characteristics of Fe3Si epitaxial films grown on Si(111) substrates

The results of structural studies of epitaxial films of the ferromagnetic silicide Fe3Si, grown by molecular beam epitaxy on an atomically clean surface of Si (111)7×7 at a substrate temperature of 150 °C are presented. The active study of epitaxial metal films on silicon is due to the need to increase performance, reduce size and energy efficiency of microelectronics devices used, including, in the automatic spacecraft. The study of the ferromagnetic silicide films associated with the production of nanomaterials for photonics, microsystems technology and memory devices are closely linked with the development of a new direction of spin electronics. This is due to the fact that iron silicide combines ferromagnetic and semiconductor properties. Also Fe3Si silicide has a face-centered cubic structure and a small mismatch lattice parameter with silicon (4.2 %) and germanium (0.5 %) substrates that allows grow Fe3Si single-crystal film in the direction . Using electron diffraction method the structure of the films has been studied and it is identified as a single crystal film of Fe3Si(111), as well as the thickness and roughness of the film and the angle of rotation of the crystal lattice between the Fe3Si film and Si substrate were determined. The obtained data are needed to develop the recommendations to improve the technology of growing of epitaxial ferromagnetic silicide films.