Magnetic properties of Ni–Fe alloy coatings prepared by alloying Ni/Fe multilayer films

Abstract

As the compositions of traditional Ni–Fe alloy coatings generated by the co-deposition of Ni and Fe could not be modulated easily, a novel method for preparing a new Ni–Fe alloy coatings having controllable components was proposed, namely the alloying of compositionally modulated Ni/Fe multilayer films. The surface and cross-section morphologies of compositionally modulated Ni/Fe multilayer films before and after the alloying were examined by a field emission scanning electron microscopy, and the element distribution of the new Ni–Fe alloy coatings prepared by the alloying of compositionally modulated Ni/Fe multilayer films was analysed using an energy dispersive X-ray analyser. The results showed that the distribution of elements in the new Ni–Fe alloy coatings was uniform. Moreover, the magnetic properties of the new Ni–Fe alloy coatings were investigated and the results showed that the magnetic performances of the new Ni–Fe alloy coatings differed from those of the traditional Ni–Fe alloy coatings.