THEED Study of CrTe Thin Films Obtained by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Abstract:

Ferromagnetic semimetals are valuable materials for spintronic applications . Recently, several theoretical papers reported that a good candidate in this respect is zinc-blende (ZB) CrTe. We report the THEED measurements of thin CrTe layers obtained by pulsed laser deposition on (100) KCl substrate by YAG:Nd 3+ laser. Layers were grown from tablets of pressed powder Cr₂Te₃. Films have good mirror-like morphology. High resolution diffraction patterns show a number of sharp Debye rings. Careful analysis points on the complex composition of the layers consisting mainly with hexagonal and cubic CrTe. Hexagonal structure of CrTe shows an unexpected lattice constants a = 4.181Å, c = 7.324 Å), while in the literature (J. Dijkstra et al. J. Phys. Cond. Matter 1, 9141 (1989)) these constants are 3.997Å, c = 6.222 Å. Inclusions of Te as well as hexagonal Cr are not excluded. The phases of Cr₂Te₃ and Cr₃Te₄ are observed as well.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 186)
• Pages: 172-176
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.186.172
• Online since: March 2012
• Authors: Piotr Sagan, Marian Kuzma
• Keywords: CrTe, Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor (DMS), Electron Diffraction, Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), Thin Film

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