Structural and Magnetic Properties of Co100−xPdx Thin Films Evaporated on Si (100) Substrate

The structural and magnetic properties of Co100−xPdx thin films grown under vacuum by physical vapor deposition (PVD) on Si (100) are reported. The thicknesses of the samples were measured with a DEKTAK 150 profilometer; chemical composition was analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDX). Microscopic characterizations of the films were done with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and we conclude that all the samples were polycristalline with an hcp structure. The hysteresis loops are performed by means of vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and we point up that all the samples present a planar ferromagnetic anisotropy. The saturation magnetization decreases as the palladium content increases and high values of the squareness up to 0.62 were measured. All these results are analyzed and correlated.