ABSTRACT
The growth of SrRuO[Formula: see text] (SRO) thin film with high-crystallinity and low residual resistivity (RR) is essential to explore its intrinsic properties. Here, utilizing the adsorption-controlled growth technique, the growth condition of initial SrO layer on TiO[Formula: see text]-terminated SrTiO[Formula: see text] (STO) (001) substrate was found to be crucial for achieving a low RR in the resulting SRO film grown afterward. The optimized initial SrO layer shows a c(2 [Formula: see text] 2) superstructure that was characterized by electron diffraction, and a series of SRO films with different thicknesses (ts) were then grown. The resulting SRO films exhibit excellent crystallinity with orthorhombic-phase down to [Formula: see text] 4.3 nm, which was confirmed by high resolution X-ray measurements. From X-ray azimuthal scan across SRO orthorhombic (02 ± 1) reflections, we uncover four structural domains with a dominant domain of orthorhombic SRO [001] along cubic STO [010] direction. The dominant domain population depends on t, STO miscut angle ([Formula: see text]), and miscut direction ([Formula: see text]), giving a volume fraction of about 92 [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] 26.6 nm and [Formula: see text] (0.14[Formula: see text], 5[Formula: see text]). On the other hand, metallic and ferromagnetic properties were well preserved down to t [Formula: see text] 1.2 nm. Residual resistivity ratio (RRR = [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text]) reduces from 77.1 for t [Formula: see text] 28.5 nm to 2.5 for t [Formula: see text] 1.2 nm, while [Formula: see text] increases from 2.5 [Formula: see text]cm for t [Formula: see text] 28.5 nm to 131.0 [Formula: see text]cm for t [Formula: see text] 1.2 nm. The ferromagnetic onset temperature ([Formula: see text]) of around 151 K remains nearly unchanged down to t [Formula: see text] 9.0 nm and decreases to 90 K for t [Formula: see text] 1.2 nm. Our finding thus provides a practical guideline to achieve high crystallinity and low RR in ultra-thin SRO films by simply adjusting the growth of initial SrO layer.
ABSTRACT
The low temperature spin accumulation in p-Si using Co2CrAl/SiO2 tunnel junction has been investigated in detail. The heterojunction has been fabricated using electron beam evaporation (EBE) technique. The 3-terminal contacts in Hanle geometry has been made for spin transport measurements. The electrical transport properties have been investigated at different isothermal conditions in the temperature range of 10-300 K. The current-voltage characteristics of the junction shows excellent rectifying magnetic diode like behaviour in lower temperature range (below 200 K). At higher temperature, the junction shows nonlinear behaviour without rectifying characteristics. We have observed spin accumulation signal in p-Si semiconductor using SiO2/Co2CrAl tunnel junction in the low temperature regime (30-100 K). Hence the highly spin polarized Full Heusler alloys compounds, like Co2CrAl etc., are very attractive and can act as efficient tunnel device for spin injection in the area of spintronics devices in near future. The estimated spin life time is τ = 54 pS and spin diffusion length inside p-Si is LSD = 289 nm at 30 K for this heterostructure.
