Abstract
Thin films of Mn2Sb were prepared by solid state mutual reactions in multilayered films consisting of Mn and Sb which were made by ion beam sputtering. Microstructure of the films was investigated by means of small and large angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Modulation wavelength of the multilayered films and discharging power for an ion source during sputtering determined the microstructural feature in the interdiffused region between the Mn and Sb layers, which was a dominant factor governing the texture development of the Mn2Sb phase on annealing. It can be concluded that the oriented nucleation process during deposition plays a significant role for the development of preferred orientation of the reacted compounds.
