Growth of Epitaxial Co Layers on Sb-Passivated GaAs(110) Substrates

Abstract

The role of Sb in the formation of the Co/GaAs(110) interfaces has been investigated by angular photoelectron diffraction (PD), synchrotron-radiation (SR) core-level photoemission and low-energy electron diffraction. We find that Co forms a metastable bcc phase on GaAs(110), with its principal crystallographic axes parallel to the substrate. From polar-angle-scanned PD, we determine an outward expansion of up to 14% of the lattice constant perpendicular to the surface, for epitaxial Co films grown on nontreated substrates. By Sb passivation of the GaAs(110) surface prior to the Co deposition, the epitaxial quality of the metallic overlayer is improved. The resulting Co phase is found to grow in a perfect bcc (110) orientation with a minor disruption of the substrate underneath and a reduced intralayer spacing outward expansion of less than 1%.