Structural and magnetic properties of strongly carbon doped Fe-Co thin films

Abstract

In the framework of the ongoing research for novel rare earth free permanent magnet materials, the alloy Fe-Co-C has attracted interest from theorists, since carbon could induce a magneto-crystalline anisotropy. In this work structural and magnetic properties of strongly doped magnetron sputtered thin films were investigated. Au-Cu buffers on MgO (100) substrates were used in order to promote epitaxial FeCo with 001 orientation. By adding carbon as a third element a tetragonal distortion was observed, according to structural measurements. An anisotropic behavior was induced in the magnetic properties of the system, where the magneto-crystalline anisotropy constant Ku value was estimated in the order of 0.8×106 J/m3f or 3 nm thick Fe-Co(C) magnetic layer.