Structure of epitaxial Fe films on MgO(100)

Abstract We investigated the epitaxial growth of bcc Fe on MgO(100) using STM and LEED as a function of growth temperature. We found the island size and shape to vary with the deposition temperature and post-deposition annealing. Relatively smooth island surfaces can be obtained by deposition around 160°C, however, the island heights distribution is rather irregular then. The rms roughness is lowest for deposition at 110°C. At lower deposition temperatures the islands become more round-shaped, likely due to a reduction of step edge diffusion. Post-deposition annealing to temperatures around 210°C increases the overall variation of the island height distribution.