Iron self-diffusion in B2-FeRh thin film

• Published in: Vacuum Vol. 218; p. 112617
• Main Authors: Merkel, D.G., Sajti, S., Deák, L., Hegedűs, G., Horváth, Z.E., Lengyel, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2023
• ISSN: 0042-207X; 1879-2715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vacuum.2023.112617

Iron-rhodium thin films are in the center of scientific interest due to their great potential in spintronic, energy harvesting and other forthcoming applications. The structural stability of these materials in industrial applications relies heavily on their ability to withstand temperature variations, therefore it is crucial to gain a thorough understanding of the diffusion processes induced by temperature. To investigate the self-diffusion of iron in FeRh, an isotope-periodic multilayer structure of [nFe50.5Rh49.5(63 Å)/57Fe51.5Rh48.5(46 Å)]10 was prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. By using neutron reflectivity technique, which is capable of detecting atomic-scale diffusion lengths, we determined the pre-exponent factor and activation energy as D0 = (1.19 ± 0.5) × 10−16 m2s−1 and Ea = (1.00 ± 0.03) eV respectively. [Display omitted] •Isotope-periodic 57FeRh/nFeRh multilayer thin film was prepared by molecular beam epitaxy technique.•Neutron reflectometry measurements were performed to follow the heat induced mixing of the isotope layers.•The diffusion profile of 57Fe was calculated in 57FeRh/nFeRh after each annealing step.•The pre-exponent factor and activation energy was determined for the iron self-diffusion in FeRh film.