PLD growth of CoPd thin films and characterization of their magnetic properties by magneto optical Kerr effect

•Pulsed laser deposition of CoPd thin films, which is rarely reported by this method.•Investigation of the role of film thickness and substrate temperature on the magnetic properties of CoPd films on Si Substrate.•Increasing substrate temperature forces the magnetization easy axis to rotate from in-plane to out of plane direction. CoPd alloy thin films with different thicknesses and Co/Pd ratios have been deposited on Si (100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The magnetic properties were investigated by using the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) in both longitudinal and polar geometries. The results show that the films with thickness in the range of 6–24 nm, deposited at a low substrate temperature of 200 °C, are mostly magnetized in the plane of film. Higher deposition temperature forces the magnetic easy axis to orient in the perpendicular direction of the films.