ABSTRACT
Epitaxial Fe(001) islands of nanometric dimensions have been grown on MgO buffered GaAs(001) substrates by triode sputtering at 700°C. The nominal thickness of the Fe layer is in the range of 2.5Å-20Å. A MgO overlayer prevents Fe islands from electrical interaction, revealing this system as a potential candidate for exploring tunnel magnetoresistance effects in isolated granular systems. The morphology of the final structures was investigated by transmission electron microscopy examination in plan-view and cross-section orientations.
