Structure and magnetic properties of the Co₂FeAl and Co₂NiSi Heusler alloy films

Abstract The structural and magnetic properties (field dependences of the magnetization in magnetic fields of up to 6 kOe) of thin-film Co2FeAl, and Co2NiSi Heusler alloys grown by pulsed laser deposition on glass and a single-crystalline Al2O3 R-plane substrate at different growth temperatures (20, 280 and 420 °C) were studied. It was found that the stoichiometric composition of the films depends on the substrate temperature during growth and repeats the composition of the target for films grown at low temperatures. The films deposited on a single crystalline Al2O3 substrate have uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the plane.