The influence of growth temperature and annealing on the magnetization depth profiles across ferromagnetic/semiconductor interfaces

The magnetization depth profiles of three FeCo/GaAs samples grown at different temperatures and measured before and after annealing were obtained using polarized neutron reflectometry. Prior to annealing, the sample grown at 95 degrees C had the thickest magnetically degraded interfacial region between the FeCo film and the GaAs substrate. For the sample grown at -15 degrees C, the magnetic interface was sharp. For all samples, annealing promoted thicker interfacial regions with suppressed magnetization and distinct boundaries with the adjoining (FeCo or GaAs) material. Thus, the magnetic structure of the FeCo/GaAs interfacial region was very sensitive to the conditions of growth and annealing. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3000611]