Structural, magnetic and electrical properties of Fe sub(x)Ni sub(100-x)/Si(100) films

A series of Fe sub(x)Ni sub(100-x) (2 < or = x < or = 100) thin films with thicknesses between 110 and 150 nm were evaporated on Si(100) substrates. The structural, magnetic and electrical properties of the films were studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Alternating Gradient Field Magnetometer (AGFM) and four probe-point techniques. It was found that the films are polycrystalline and grow with [left angle bracket]111[right angle bracket] and [left angle bracket]110[right angle bracket] textures in the nickel-rich and iron-rich regions, respectively. The crystallite size and the internal strain rate [varepsilon] were computed vs. the at% Fe using the line profile analysis of a single peak. The study of the magnetization curves shows that all films have an in-plane easy magnetization axis. The saturation magnetization and the coercive field have been studied as a function of the iron atomic percentage. The electric measurements indicate a maximum electrical resistivity [mu][Omega] cm near the Anyster composition.