Crystallographic and electrical properties of Fe/Cr and Cu/Ni superlattices

Abstract

Crystallographic and electrical properties of Fe/Cr and Cu/Ni superlattices synthesized by e-beam evaporation have been analyzed. The films of Fe/Cr and Cu/Ni have strong (110) and (111) textures, respectively. X-ray linewidths of both systems were studied and found to be broadest at a layer period of about 10 atomic planes. The in-plane electrical resistivities were found to closely correlate with the x-ray linewidths. The behavior of both properties is accounted for by considering the roughness of the interface induced by misfit dislocations arising from the relaxation of coherency strain. Our analysis uses a modified paracrystalline theory for x-ray line broadening and a modified Soffer theory for the electrical resistivity.