Fabrication and surface analysis of Fe/Al compound films

Fe/Al compound thin films were fabricated by pulse laser deposition(PLD) and its X-ray photon electron spectroscopy(XPS) examinations were conducted. The surface morphology and oxidation were analyzed with atomic force microscope(AFM) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). The results show that the surface roughness of Fe/Al compound thin films depends on the substrate temperature, the higher the temperature is, the smoother the surface of the film becomes. The rms roughness of the film which was fabricated at a subseracte temperature of 200 ℃ is 0.154 nm. The distribution of Fe and Al in the film is uniform ,and the ratio between Fe and Al in the compound films is 1∶3. An oxidation layer of Al2O3 and FeO is formed at the surface of the Fe/Al compound thin films after exposure to air.