Epitaxial growth and characterization of MnSb/InSb heterostructures on GaAs (111) B using molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Ferromagnetic/semiconductor heterostructures are critical for advancing spintronic devices such as spin-field effect transistors (spin-FETs), owing to their ability to control spin-polarized transport. In this study, we investigate the MnSb/InSb system relatively unexplored material combination, for its potential in spintronic applications. MnSb/InSb hybrid structures were successfully grown on GaAs (111) B substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Surface morphology was also observed using atomic force microscope. X-ray diffraction confirmed the crystalline orientations of InSb (111), MnSb (0002), and MnSb (0004). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the layer structure (MnSb ∼ 90 nm and InSb ∼ 490 nm), elemental distribution of MnSb/InSb/GaAs (111) B heterostructure layer. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was performed to investigate and confirm the epitaxial relationship of the MnSb and InSb layers. Moreover, Magnetic measurements indicated a saturation magnetization ( M s ) of ∼316 emu cm −3 and coercivity ( H c ) of ∼100 Oe. These results highlight the potential of MnSb/InSb/GaAs (111) B heterostructures as integrated ferromagnetic source/drain and semiconductor channel materials for future spin-FET devices.