Crystalline phase and orientation control of manganese nitride grown on MgO„001... by molecular beam epitaxy

The phase and orientation of manganese nitride grown on MgO~001! using molecular beam epitaxy are shown to be controllable by the manganese/nitrogen flux ratio as well as the substrate temperature. The most N-rich phase, u phase ~MnN!, is obtained at very low Mn/N flux ratio. At increased Mn/N flux ratio, the next most N-rich phase, the h phase ~Mn3N2!, is obtained having its c axis normal to the surface plane. Further increasing the Mn/N flux ratio, the h phase ~Mn3N2! having its c axis in the surface plane is obtained. Finally, the « phase ~Mn4N! is obtained at yet higher Mn/N flux ratio. The structural phase variation with Mn/N flux ratio is due to the kinetic control of the surface chemical composition, which determines the energetically most favorable phase. For a given Mn/N flux ratio, the phase is also found to be a function of the substrate temperature, with the less N-rich phase occurring at the higher substrate temperature. The change of phase with temperature is attributed to the change in the chemical composition resulting from the diffusion of N vacancies. Since the magnetic properties of MnxNy depend on the phase, the Mn/N flux ratio provides a way of directly controlling the magnetic properties. A phase diagram for molecular beam epitaxial growth is presented. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. @DOI: 10.1063/1.1425435#