| There is a great interest in the properties of thin magnetic layers and quantum structures containing classical ferromagnets deposited on semiconductor substrates. In particular, structural and magnetic properties of BCC Fe films on GaAs have been extensively investigated in the past. However, up to now, little is known about the influence of hydrogen atmosphere during deposition on the magnetic properties of systems involving such films. The goal of the present studies was to look for the modification of the magnetic properties of Fe layers deposited in the hydrogen atmosphere and for the relation between the change in the magnetic properties and the changes in the layer structure. Both 100 nm thick Fe layers (with and without hydrogen) and Fe/Fe:H multilayers, were deposited in UHV sputtering system and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Lattice parameter value a of pure Fe film in the growth direction is higher than that corresponding to the bulk BCC Fe. This parameter value decreases to its bulk value after an addition of H2 to sputter atmosphere. The change of the lattice parameter value is accompanied by a decrease of the coercivity of such film. Neither the spin-polarized neutron reflectometry nor small-angle elastic neutron scattering are able to show a direct evidence of possible presence of hydrogen in the investigated layers. |
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