CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION OF COLUMNAR GRAIN-STRUCTURE IN OBLIQUELY DEPOSITED FE-CO FILMS

In order to establish the crystallographic contribution to the formati on of the columnar grain structure we investigated two characteristics of the columnar grain structure (inclination and bundling of columnar grains) and the appearance of the crystal habit in Fe-1-x-Co-x (x=0-1 ) films. The films were vapor-deposited at an incidence angle of 65 de grees on glass substrates heated at 673 K. Replica electron microscopy and the X-ray Schulz method showed that (i) the inclination angle of columnar grains depends on x, but the bundle is not formed in all the films, and (ii) in the bcc phase (x<0.85) the columnar grains exhibit the {100} and {110} habits not only on their tops but also on their si des. By analyzing directions of the column axis and the habit planes w e concluded that the formation of the columnar grain structure is affe cted by the crystal habit.