Structural and Mössbauer studies of evaporated Fe_100–xPd_x thin films

¹ Research unit UR-MPE, University of Boumerdes, 1 Avenue de l’Independance, Boumerdes 35000, Algeria
² Nuclear Research Centre of Algiers, 2 Bd Frantz Fanon, BP 399, Algiers, Algeria
³ ENMC Laboratory, University of Setif, El Bez, Sétif 19000, Algeria
⁴ GPM, UMR 6634-CNRS, University Rouen, France

^a e-mail: a_laggoun@yahoo.fr

Received: 8 May 2014
Revised: 8 July 2014
Accepted: 7 August 2014
Published online: 15 October 2014

Abstract

In order to study the influence of palladium atom on structural and hyperfine properties, Fe_100–xPd_x films (x = 15, 20 and 36 at.%) were deposited by evaporation method onto a Si (1 0 0) substrate. They were then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). X-ray diffraction analysis shows the presence of supersaturated solid solution with bcc structure for Pd concentration of 15% and 20%. However, for 36% of Pd, in addition to the supersaturated α-FePd (bcc) phase, another disordered FePd₃ phase with fcc structure is present. The grain size did not change with Pd concentration and was about 11 nm, and the lattice parameter increased from 0.287 Å to 0.290 Å with an increasing Pd concentration. The adjustment of Mössbauer spectra confirms the results obtained by X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the Mössbauer spectra have shown that a magnetic texture is present for samples with 20 and 36%. For these Pd concentrations, we believe that a development of an out-of plane magnetic anisotropy occurs in our films.