Growth morphology in Co/Cu/Co films deposited on stepped Cu(001) is investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and magneto-optical Kerr effect. The interlayer Cu film thickness is varied from fractions of a monolayer to several monolayers in order to determine the influence of Cu island nucleation on subsequent Co growth. From the analysis of the oscillations in RHEED intensity and in the uniaxial step anisotropy a growth model is proposed which extends earlier
scanning tunneling microscopy observations. The different role of Co atoms at island edges as compared to those at pre-existing steps is elucidated.
Keywords: Ruediger, Guentherodt
By: J. Fassbender, A. Bischof, R. Allenspach, U. May, M. Lange, U. Rüdiger, and G. Güntherodt
Published in: Surface Science, volume 488, (no 1-2), pages 99-106 in 2001
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