Tailoring MBE Growth of c-Mn3Sn Directly on MgO (111): From Islands to Film

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the controlled growth of high-quality c-Mn3Sn thin films directly on MgO (111) substrates via molecular beam epitaxy, enabling the transition from island to continuous film structures for spintronics applications.

Contribution

It introduces a growth window for direct epitaxial synthesis of c-Mn3Sn films on MgO (111), achieving both island and continuous films without buffer layers.

Findings

High crystalline quality in both island and continuous films.

Epitaxial relationship confirmed by high-resolution X-ray diffraction.

Potential for spintronics applications due to high-quality film synthesis.

Abstract

We present our study of (0001) oriented Mn$_3$Sn (c-Mn$_3$Sn) thin films synthesized directly on an MgO (111) substrate via molecular beam epitaxy. We identify a growth window where Mn$_3$Sn growth can be controlled through slight adjustments of the Mn flux, achieving either $\mu$m$^2$-sized high crystalline-quality islands or an almost completely continuous film. High-resolution X-ray diffraction results indicate that both films are highly (0001) oriented. The atomic resolution images show clear film-substrate interfaces displaying an epitaxial relationship. Scanning precession electron diffraction measurements reveal that the island featured sample has highly crystallized Mn$_3$Sn. The sample featuring a high continuity exhibits defects in some areas but retains the dominant Mn$_3$Sn structure. This work demonstrates a potential method for synthesizing high crystalline-quality Mn$_3$Sn films with substantial coverage, facilitating the study of Mn3Sn films without the influence of an additional buffer layer and promoting their application in integrated spintronics.