Composition and Thickness Effects on Magnetic Properties of Electrodeposited Nickel-Iron Thin Films

Abstract

Thin films of nickelA‐iron have found use in the fabrication of magnetic memories for information storage in computers. These memories have the advantage of very high speed switching. Use is made of a magnetic field during deposition to align the magnetic axes in the film in one direction so that the film exhibits a single "easy" axis of magnetization. Thus an "induced" anisotropy is established. In this work, effects of thickness (500–6000Aå) and composition (∼60% Ni–100% Ni) on the anisotropy field, Hk, as well as on wall coercive force, Hc, and easy direction disturb,HCD, are presented. Evidence for stress interaction with magnetization and some data on substrate roughness are given.