Magnetic and structural analysis of iron films produced by a novel Rotating Cryostat (RC) technique

Abstract

This paper reports an assessment of the magnetic anisotropy and structural analysis made on iron thin films produced by a novel Rotating Cryostat (RC). The RC system has been developed to produce magnetic materials and analyse the magnetic and structural properties of the thin films in order to optimise the RC system. The magnetic analysis of the films was carried out by a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The films have exhibited uniaxial in-plane anisotropy with the easy axis at 90 degrees to the rotation direction of the RC system. Further investigations suggested that the Stoner-Wohlfarth-like uniaxial magnetic anisotropy was due to the RC system itself during the deposition. The structural analysis of the films was carried out by a Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and a X-ray Diffractometer (XRD). All films have a bcc alpha-iron polycrystalline structure.