Misfit-energy-increasing dislocations in vapor-deposited CoFe/NiFe multilayers

Recent molecular dynamics simulations of the growth of $[{\mathrm{Ni}}_{0.8}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{0.2}/\mathrm{Au}]$ multilayers have revealed the formation of misfit-strain-reducing dislocation structures very similar to those observed experimentally. Here we report similar simulations showing the formation of edge dislocations near the interfaces of vapor-deposited (111) [NiFe/CoFe/Cu] multilayers. Unlike misfit dislocations that accommodate lattice mismatch, the dislocation structures observed here increase the mismatch strain energy. Stop-action observations of the dynamically evolving atomic structures indicate that during deposition on the (111) surface of a fcc lattice, adatoms may occupy either fcc sites or…

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  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency