Ion-assisted deposition of Ag(011)/Fe(001) multilayers: Interface roughness

We report on the mouth and structure of Ag/Fe superlattices grown on MgO(001) substrates studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Ion-assisted deposition (LAD) was used to modify the multilayer interfaces during the growth process. The structure characterization was performed using symmetric and asymmetric XRD techniques. The Ag(001)[100]//Fe(001)[110]//MgO(001)[100] growth was obtained using an ion-beam sputtering technique. The XRD results were interpreted using the model of nonideal superlattice structure based on a Monte-CarIo simulation. The surface roughness was characterized using AFM. The decrease of the r.m.s. roughness for the samples grown in IAD mode in comparison with samples grown without ion assistance was evidenced. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.