Zs. Zhang et al., The effect of the constituent metal layer thickness on the microstructure and magnetic properties of Fe/Y multilayers, PHYS ST S-A, 179(1), 2000, pp. 237-247
Fe/Y multilayers with various Fe and Y layer thickness were prepared by ele
ctron-beam vapor deposition. The effect of the constituent metal layer thic
kness on the microstructure and magnetic properties of the films was invest
igated by transmission electron microscopy. Rutherford backscattering, X-ra
y diffraction and vibrating-sample magnetometer. The experimental results s
howed that a magnetic transformation from the ferromagnetic to superparamag
netic state in the iron layers occurred with decreasing Fe layer thickness
to 1.4 nm in the Fe/Y multilayers. The saturation mag netization of the mul
tilayers reduced significantly with decreasing Fe layer thickness and incre
asing Y layer thickness. It was also found that the Y layer can grow in an
f.c.c. structure when its thickness was less than 11 nm in the Fe/Y multila
yers.