Synthesis, electrical and magnetic properties of Fe1−xPdx/Si (111) thin films
摘要
We used the thermal evaporation technique under vacuum to synthesize a series of 100 nm Fe1−xPdx thin films onto Si (111) substrate, with x representing the palladium content ranging from 16 to 36 at%, as quantified by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy tool. We used the X-ray diffraction technique to analyze the structural properties of the films, and the Atomic Force Microscopy tool to explore images of the surface topography and measure the root-mean-square roughness of the films. The crystallite size was found to increase with Pd content. We used the Hall effect measurement system, and the vibrating sample magnetometer tools to investigate the electrical and magnetic properties. Both the electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance increase as the Pd content increases. The saturation magnetization Ms decreases linearly from 1350 emu/cm3 for the Fe84Pd16 thin film to 1270 emu/cm3 for the Fe64Pd36 thin film. Coercivity decreases with increasing Pd content and with increasing crystallite size. All these findings, and others, contribute to a deeper understanding of the electrical and magnetic behaviors of iron-palladium alloys, and expand their industrial applications.