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Semiconducting antiferromagnet of Cr2FeSi and CrMn2Si Heusler compound films

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Abstract

Cr2FeSi and CrMn2Si Heusler compound films were experimentally prepared on Si (100) substrate by alternating evaporation method with post-annealing process. The samples have a cubic structure with a space group of Pm3n (223), and the crystallinity is dependent on the Fe (Mn) contents. The exchange bias effect in the bilayer samples confirmed the AFM state of the CrMn1.95Si and Cr1.92FeSi. Analysis of magnetic and transport properties revealed that both Cr2FeSi and CrMn2Si Heusler compound films are highly conductive antiferromagnetic semiconductor with band gap of 0.4–0.5 eV and might have broad half-metallic temperature region. These features suggest that CrMn2Si and Cr2FeSi films could be good candidates in an application of antiferromagnetic spintronics in commercial semiconductor industry, in view of the good structural compatibility between Heusler compound and the mainstream zinc-blende structured semiconductor substrate.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant Nos. 2652017344, 2652017372).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Shuo Liu, Zhidi Bao, Kun Zhu, Wuwei Feng & Hua Sun

  2. Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machinery Industry Co. Ltd, Beijing, 100120, China

    Zhidi Bao

  3. College of Standardization, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, Zhejiang Province, China

    Ning Pang

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  1. Shuo Liu
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  2. Zhidi Bao
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  3. Kun Zhu
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Correspondence to Wuwei Feng.

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Liu, S., Bao, Z., Zhu, K. et al. Semiconducting antiferromagnet of Cr2FeSi and CrMn2Si Heusler compound films. J Mater Sci 55, 7009–7015 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04456-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04456-2

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