Highly textured FeCo thin films deposited by low temperature Pulsed Laser Deposition

The effect of the deposition temperature on the crystallographic orientation of pulsed laser deposited FeCo/MgO(100) thin films is determined by means of X-Ray Reflectivity and High Resolution Trasmission Electron Microscopy analysis and correlated with the magnetic anisotropy properties measured by angle dependent hysteresis loops. All the films showed a granular structure with a high degree of crystallographic order even at very low deposition temperature (25 °C). The cubic symmetry is reflected in the angular dependence of remanent magnetization, showing a four-fold character, whose in-plane distribution is consistent with the different crystallographic orientation of the films.