The Influence of Seed Layer on Growth of Magnetite Films on the SiO2/Si (001) Surface

Abstract

Polycrystalline magnetite films with the thickness of 50 nm were grown on SiO2/Si(001) surface by the reactive deposition of Fe in O2 atmosphere using various preparation ways of the formation of iron oxide seed layer. The seed layers were formed by the deposition and oxidation of 3 nm Fe layer at different thermal conditions. It was found that polycrystalline magnetite films grown with the use of seed layer have [110] texture and are characterized by increase of the squareness of magnetic hysteresis loop. Structural analysis of magnetite films and predeposited seed layers was studied by RHEED.