Structural, static and dynamic magnetic studies of evaporated CoxCr1-x/Si (100) and CoxCr1-x/glass thin films.

We have evaporated a series of Co(x)Cr(1-x) thin films under vacuum onto Si (100) and glass substrates, with a perpendicular incidence. The thickness of the magnetic layer ranged from 17 to 220 nm, and the content chromium, from 0.12 to 0.20, values determined by means of Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (R.B.S.) spectra using SIMNRA programme. Microscopic characterizations of the films were done with X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and infer that all the samples were polycrystalline, with an hcp structure and show a < 0001 > preferred orientation, and with the grain size increasing with the chromium content decrease. Atomic force microscopy (A.F.M.) observations reveal very smooth film surfaces. The static and dynamic magnetic properties have been investigated by means of Alternating Gradient Field Magnetometer (A.G.F.M.), and Brillouin Light Scattering (B.L.S.) measurements. The saturation magnetization M(s) was found to decrease from 1200 emu/cm(3) to 220 emu/cm(3) as the chromium content increases from 12% at. to 20% at., whatever the thickness is. From the fit of the B.L.S. spectra, we have computed effective magnetic anisotropy factors, as well. All the results are discussed and correlated.