METALORGANIC CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION OF MANGANESE ARSENIDE ANTIMONIDE FOR THIN-FILM MAGNETIC APPLICATIONS

Thin films of the binary and ternary ferromagnetic materials MnSb and MnAs1-xSbx (0 < x < 0.08) have been grown for the first time by atmospheric pressure metalorganic chemical vapour deposition using the precursors arsine, tricarbonylmethylcyclopentadienyl manganese and trimethylantimony. The growth of the binary MnSb required careful control of the trimethylantimony concentration and growth temperature to prevent the precipitation of free antimony crystals. Growth of the ternary compound MnAs1-xSbx was successful only under conditions of very low arsine flow due to complex interactions between the group V components and preferred incorporation of arsenic into the crystal lattice. Magnetic measurements of the MnAs1-xSbx layers showed the expected decrease in Curie temperature from 313 (x = 0) to 298 K (x = 0.08).