RBS study of disordering of Fe sub(3-x)Mn sub(x)Si/Ge(111) heteroepitaxial interfaces

We have investigated thermal disordering and instability of Fe sub(3-x)Mn sub(x)Si (FMS)/Ge(111) heterointerfaces by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). Pronounced degradation of the FMS/Ge interface was observed as an increase of the minimum yield of RBS when the FMS/Ge samples were annealed above 300 degree C. Analysis of interdiffusion at the heterointerface reveals that the disordering mainly comes from interdiffusion between Fe, Mn atoms in the alloy and Ge atoms in the substrate. This diffusion behavior is same as that observed in off-stoichiometric Fe sub(3)Si (i.e. Fe sub(4)Si), but far from that in stoichiometric Fe sub(3)Si. ( copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)