1. Structural, electrical and magnetic properties of evaporated Ni/Cu and Ni/glass thin films
- Author
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T. Chauveau, A. Bourzami, A. Layadi, J. Ben Youssef, S.-M. Chérif, C. Nacereddine, A. Guittoum, M.-H. Bourahli, D. Billet, L.E.S.I.M.S., Département de Physique, Université Ferhat-Abbas Sétif 1 [Sétif] (UFAS1), Laboratoire des Sciences des Procédés et des Matériaux (LSPM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Institut Galilée-Université Paris 13 (UP13), Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux (LIEC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Terre et Environnement de Lorraine (OTELo), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de magnétisme de Bretagne (LMB), Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Brestois du Numérique et des Mathématiques (IBNM), Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris 13 (UP13)-Institut Galilée-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Terre et Environnement de Lorraine (OTELo), and Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
[PHYS]Physics [physics] ,010302 applied physics ,Materials science ,Mechanical Engineering ,02 engineering and technology ,Coercivity ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,01 natural sciences ,Grain size ,Crystallography ,Magnetic anisotropy ,Magnetization ,Mechanics of Materials ,0103 physical sciences ,General Materials Science ,Grain boundary ,Crystallite ,[PHYS.COND]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat] ,Composite material ,Thin film ,0210 nano-technology ,Saturation (magnetic) ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS - Abstract
The structural, electrical and magnetic properties of Ni thin films evaporated onto glass and polycrystalline Cu substrates have been investigated. The Ni thickness ranges from 31 to 165 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to study the structure and morphology of these systems. The Ni/Cu and Ni/glass thin films are found to be polycrystalline with a (1 1 1) texture. There is an overall increase of the grain size with increasing thickness. A negative strain was noted indicating that all the samples are under a compressive stress. Diffusion at the grain boundaries seems to be a major contribution to the electrical resistivity in this thickness range. Study of the hysteresis curves, obtained by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), indicates that all samples are characterized by an in-plane magnetization easy axis. Higher in-plane coercive fields seem to be associated with higher grain size, indicating that coercivity may be due to nucleation of reverse domains rather than pinning of domain walls. The saturation field and the squareness have been studied as a function of the Ni thickness.
- Published
- 2007