Effect of deposition conditions on the magnetic properties of evaporated Fe thin films

Fe thin films have been deposited by thermal evaporation onto glass substrate. The thickness ranges from 76 to 431 nm range, while deposition rates are between 0.3 and 13.4 angstrom/s. The magnetic properties of these Fe thin films are investigated. The magnetic properties were inferred from B-H hysteresis curves. The magnetic field was applied both in-plane and perpendicular to the film. The coercive field H-C and the saturation field H-S were derived for both configurations. The effects of the preparation conditions - thickness, deposition time and deposition rate - on the H-C and H-S behaviors are investigated. Interesting features are observed as a function of the elaboration conditions. Also, the variation of H-C with grain size reveals the different mechanisms responsible for the coercive field values.