Epitaxial ferromagnetic Mn5Ge3 on Ge(111)

Ferromagnetic Mn5Ge3 thin films were grown on Ge(111) with solid-phase epitaxy. The epitaxial relationship between the alloy film and substrate is Mn5Ge3(001)//Ge(111) with [100](Mn5)Ge-3//[1 (1) over bar0](Ge). The alloy films exhibit metallic conductivity and strong ferromagnetism up to the Curie temperature, T-C=296 K. These epitaxial alloy films are promising candidates for germanium-based spintronics. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.