Structural study of nanometer‐sized iron crystallites in single crystalline iron–mgo composite films

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Abstract
Single crystalline composite films of iron and MgO are prepared by a simultaneous vacuum deposition technique. The structures of the composite films, especially of the iron crystallites embedded, are studied by high‐resolution electron microscopy and nanometer‐area electron diffraction. The α‐iron (b.c.c.) crystallites of 1 nm in size are epitaxially embedded in single crystalline MgO films, the orientation being (011)[100]Fe/(001)[100]Mgo and (001)[110]Fe//(001)[100]Mgo. A heat treatment of the as‐grown films at 500–1,000°C brings about a phase transformation of the crystallites from α‐iron to γ‐iron (f.c.c.), followed by a grain growth of α‐iron and finally the growth of the spinel, MgFe2O4. The γ‐iron crystallites transformed are circular plates and have strains at the periphery to accommodate the surrounding MgO‐matrix. The magnetic property of the composite films is also reported.