Growth and structural properties of Mn films on Si(111)–(√3×√3):Bi

Abstract Mn films from the sub-monolayer to about 100 A film thickness are grown on Si(1 1 1)–(√3×√3):Bi. Mn is observed to remove Bi from the surface reconstruction at room temperature, where Mn growth is polycrystalline. Annealing to 250°C leads to ordered films with a Si layer on top of a Mn film. Growth at elevated temperature results in a complicated sequence of two distinct Mn phases.