Structural and magnetic properties of Ni xFe 1- x evaporated thin films

Abstract

Thin Ni x Fe 1- x alloy films of various compositions ( x<0.27 and x > 0.46) were vacuum deposited onto quartz crystal substrates by electron beam evaporation. Structural properties of the Ni x Fe 1- x films were obtained by electron microprobe analysis (EPMA), X-ray diffraction and TEM-investigation. Magnetic properties were determined by M( H, T)- and conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopic (CEMS) measurements. These gave the concentration dependence of the saturation magnetization M s( x) and the mean hyperfine field B hf (x) of the evaporated films. The results are compared to those found for bulk Ni x Fe 1- x alloys and sputtered Ni x Fe 1- x alloys films, which had been investigated by other authors . The comparison of the magnetic behavior of the evaporated and sputtered Ni x Fe 1- x films yields the possibility to discuss more intensively the influence of Ar which had been suggested to be decisive in changing the magnetic properties of sputtered Ni x Fe 1- x films.