ABSTRACTA combination of XRD and TEM techniques have been used to characterize the response of room temperature magnetron sputtered Fe-Pd thin films on Si-susbtrates to post-deposition order-annealing at temperatures between 400-500°C. Deposition produced the disordered Fe-Pd phase with (111)-twinned grains approximately 18nm in size. Ordering occurred for annealing at 450°C and 500°C after 1.8ks, accompanied by grain growth (40-70nm). The ordered FePd grains contained (111)-twins rather than {101}-twins typical of bulk ordered FePd. The metallic overlayers and underlayers selected here produced detrimental dissolution (Pt into Fe-Pd phases) and precipitation reactions between Pd and the Si substrate.
