X-ray diffraction measurements have been made on a series of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown ${\text{RT}}_{2}$, ${\text{RT}}_{3}$, ${\text{RT}}_{5}$, and ${\text{R}}_{2}{\text{T}}_{17}$ thin layer samples, where $\text{R}=\text{Er},\text{Nd}$, and $\text{T}=\text{Co},\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{Fe}$, and ${\text{RT}}_{2}$ superlattice samples, where $\text{R}=\text{Er},\text{Nd},\text{Y}$, and $\text{T}=\text{Fe}$. These measurements show that it is possible to grow ${\text{RT}}_{2}$ materials by MBE techniques, using a Mo[110] buffer, with the [111] cubic direction as the growth axis and to grow ${\text{RT}}_{3}$ and ${\text{R}}_{2}{\text{T}}_{17}$ materials, using the same Mo[110] buffer, with the [001] rhombohedral or hexagonal axis as the growth axis. In addition, ${\text{RT}}_{2.2}$ materials and ${\text{R}}_{2}{\text{T}}_{17}$ with an excess of R were grown and it was found that the materials separated into two commensurate epitaxial phases: ${\text{RT}}_{2}+{\text{RT}}_{3}$ and ${\text{R}}_{2}{\text{T}}_{17}+{\text{RT}}_{3}$. We found that it was not possible to grow ${\text{RT}}_{5}$ by these MBE techniques. The magnetization of the thin layers of ${\text{ErCo}}_{3}$, ${\text{NdCo}}_{3}$, ${\text{Er}}_{2}{\text{Co}}_{17}$, and ${\text{Nd}}_{2}{\text{Co}}_{17}$ was also measured using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Measurements show that the magnetization of ${\text{NdCo}}_{3}$ and ${\text{Er}}_{2}{\text{Co}}_{17}$ is larger in the layers compared to bulk properties, the magnetization of the ${\text{Nd}}_{2}{\text{Co}}_{17}$ layer is similar to that of the bulk material and the magnetization and also the Curie temperature, 195 K, of the ${\text{ErCo}}_{3}$ layer are lower than those of the bulk material which has a Curie temperature of 395 K.