Lattice matched Volmer-Weber growth of Fe${}_3$Si on GaAs(001) -- the influence of the growth rate

Abstract

We investigate the formation of lattice matched single-crystalline Fe${}_3$Si/GaAs(001) ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrid structures by Volmer-Weber island growth, starting from the epitaxial growth of isolated Fe${}_3$Si islands up to the formation of continuous films as a result of island coalescence. We find coherent defect-free layers exhibiting compositional disorder near the Fe${}_3$Si/GaAs-interface for higher growth rates, whereas they are fully ordered for lower growth rates.