The structural and magnetic properties of Fe3Si films fabricated by layered sputtering on Si substrates dependent on the Fe/Si thickness ratio varying from 2:1 to 4:1 were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that over the whole range of the Fe/Si thickness ratio considered, all films consist of the polycrystalline Fe3Si phase. The film produced with the Fe/Si thickness ratio of 3:1 shows relatively high structural quality. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal that the film layer can be clearly observed and the thickness of the film layer at Fe/Si thickness ratio of 3:1 is the thinnest. From the analysis of the magnetization curves, all of these films exhibit ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. The sample at Fe/Si thickness ratio of 3:1 shows a high [Formula: see text] value of [Formula: see text]831[Formula: see text]emu/cm3, which is slightly lower than the bulk value of Fe3Si. The variety of its coercive force [Formula: see text] is associated with the change of grain size [Formula: see text] through [Formula: see text], and the discrepancy between the [Formula: see text] values of these films and the bulk Fe3Si is due to defects pinning magnetic domain. Meanwhile, the electrical resistivity remarkably decreases with the increase of the Fe/Si thickness ratio.
Structural and Magnetic Properties of Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 Full-Heusler Alloy Thin Films Deposited on Si Substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy