MBE growth of artificially-layered magnetic-metal structures on semiconductors and insulators

This review considers recent developments in MBE growth of artificially-layered magnetic-metal structures on both semiconductors and insulating substrates. It is seen that the ability to seed specific orientations of such structures and to probe their structural and chemical properties with a variety of in situ probes is a key advantage of MBE over more conventional deposition techniques. In particular, interface formation can be probed during growth. This is helpful in developing a realistic picture of interfaces in such structures and in relating magnetic properties to interface structural and chemical properties. Furthermore, the growth of epitaxial structures permits the detailed characterization of atomic and interface structure with X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. © 1993.