Tuning the Mn5Ge3 and Mn11Ge8 thin films phase formation on Ge(111) via growth process

Mohamed-Amine Guerboukha (1, 2, 3, 4) , Matthieu Petit (4, 3) , Aurélie Spiesser (5) , Alain Portavoce (1) , Omar Abbes (1) , Vasile Heresanu (3, 4) , Sylvain Bertaina (1) , Cyril Coudreau (4) , Lisa Michez (4, 3)

1 IM2NP - Institut des Matériaux, de Microélectronique et des Nanosciences de Provence
2 ISEN Toulon
3 AMU - Aix Marseille Université
4 CINaM - Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille
5 AIST - National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

We have studied the stability of manganese germanide thin films grown on Ge(111) substrates by three different growth methods: solid phase epitaxy, reactive deposition epitaxy and co-deposition. By combining X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements, we demonstrate that we can form either Mn5Ge3 or Mn11Ge8 thin films depending on the growth processes. In the case of solid phase epitaxy, we explain the phase formation sequence by taking into consideration the kinetic and thermodynamic processes involved. Tuning phase formation of the manganese germanide thin films was determined using in situ X-ray diffraction and the effect of the thin film thickness on the Mn5Ge3 thermal stability was investigated.

Mots clés: Thin film; Germanide; Phase formation; Epitaxy; Molecular beam epitaxy; Mn5Ge3; Mn11Ge8

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Mohamed-Amine Guerboukha, Matthieu Petit, Aurélie Spiesser, Alain Portavoce, Omar Abbes, et al.. Tuning the Mn5Ge3 and Mn11Ge8 thin films phase formation on Ge(111) via growth process. Thin Solid Films, 2022, 761, pp.139523. ⟨10.1016/j.tsf.2022.139523⟩. ⟨hal-03812158⟩