Atomic investigation of Al/Ni(001) by molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract

Using molecular dynamics simulation, interfacial features of the Ni-Al magnetic metallic multilayer system were quantitatively investigated with regard to substrate temperature and deposition rate. It was found that a mixture confined to a single atomic layer at the Ni(001) surface was clearly formed at relatively high temperatures, 800-1000 K, and that the degree of mixing at the interface was largely dependent on the deposition rate of adatoms. The degree of lateral displacement of Al adatoms on the Ni(001) surface, which is a key parameter for determining the growth mode, was observed to depend on the deposition rate below 700 K.