Reactions and orientation effects of the Fe/Pd/Cu/Si, Fe/Ag/Pd/Cu/Si, Fe/Au/Pd/Cu/Si, and Fe/Pt/Pd/Cu/Si structures using (100) and (111) Si

(100)‐ and (110)‐oriented Fe films, grown on Pd/Cu/Si, Ag/Pd/Cu/Si, Au/Pd/Cu/Si, and Pt/Pd/Cu/Si using (100) and (111) Si, respectively, have been heated to 600 °C, and the reactions studied. The (100) Fe films remain little changed both structurally and magnetically, after an anneal of 30 min between 300 and 400 °C in an ambient of N2‐H2 (9:1). The saturation magnetization shows little change at 400 °C, while the coercivity increases at this temperature. Above 400 °C, the Fe films degrade depending on the structures grown. For the Fe/Pd/Cu/Si and Fe/Pt/Pd/Cu/Si structures, both the magnetic and structural characteristics of Fe remain partially intact at 600 °C. In both cases, the Pt and Pd layers have been consumed for the silicide formation above 400 °C. For the Fe/Ag/Pd/Cu/Si structure, Fe rapidly degrades at 500 °C, with Ag being little changed till 600 °C. For the Fe/Au/Pd/Cu/Si structure, the formation of the bulk Au‐Si eutectic melt at 363 °C completely destroys the Fe layer above 400 °C. In compar...