Characterisation of annealed Fe/Ag bilayers by RBS and XRD

Recently Fe/Ag thin films have been intensively investigated due to their special magnetic properties. To study the stability of the Fe–Ag interfaces very long time experiments are necessary at room temperature. To enhance the processes which take place at interfaces, high temperature annealing can be used. A detailed annealing experiment was carried out on Si-covered Fe/Ag (Ag grown on Fe) and Ag/Fe (Fe grown on Ag) polycrystalline bilayers, which were deposited on Si(1 1 1) substrates by MBE method. Heat treatments of various duration and temperature were applied in UHV conditions. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and X-ray diffractometry were used to determine the effects of the heat treatments. In case of Fe/Ag samples, formation of iron–silicide phases was observed between the Fe layer and Si substrate, and the silver and the silicon capping layer were also completely mixed with each other. In case of the Ag/Fe samples the silver moved to the sample surface through the iron layers, while iron shifted to the substrate and mixed with silicon.