ABSTRACTPeriodic multilayer thin films of the form (xAl/yNi)n were grown by alternate deposition of pure Al and Ni using dc-magnetron sputtering. The thicknesses of the individual Al and Ni layers are given by x and y, respectively, and the total number of bilayer units is n. For this set of experiments, x was fixed at 3.5 nm while y was systematically varied from 2.4 to 154 nm. The films were tested in as-deposited and annealed states for magnetic properties using a vibrating sample magnetometer and for crystal structure by x-ray diffraction. In both the as-deposited and annealed samples the magnetization per unit volume of Ni declined as the Ni layer thickness decreased. This result can be interpreted in terms of a magnetically ‘dead’ layer at the Al/Ni interfaces. The width of the dead layer increased from 2.9 nm to 5.8 nm on annealing. Magnetic properties were correlated with crystal structure experiments by x-ray diffraction. As-deposited films yielded a Ni(111) texture. The Ni (111) peak decreased in intensity and broadened as the Ni thickness declined. Annealing produced evidence for the growth of the intermetallic NiAl3.
The growth temperature and measurement temperature dependences of soft magnetic properties and effective damping parameter of (FeCo)-Al alloy thin films
