Ion-beam induced magnetic anisotropies in iron films

100-300 nm thin Fe layers evaporated onto crystalline and amorphous Si or SiO(2) substrates were irradiated, at 77 K, with 10(14)-10(16) Xe(+)-ions/cm(2) at 450 keV beam energy. The magnetizations in the films were measured by means of Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) spectroscopy with implanted (111)In tracer ions, or the Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect (MOKE). Upon ion implantation, dramatic changes of the magnetic anisotropy were observed which are attributed to ion-beam enhanced lateral grain growth. Very little influence of the deposition parameters (type and cristallinity of substrate, evaporation rate) on the anisotropic magnetization was found. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.