Structural and magnetic properties of Fe films epitaxially grown on Pd[001]/Cu[001]/Si[001] by sputtering

5-150 nm Fe[001]/70 nm Pd[001]/85 nm Cu [001] films were epitaxially grown on Si[001] by RF sputtering. Magnetic and structural properties were analyzed by VSM, torque magnetometer and X-ray diffractometer. Epitaxial relationship of Fe[001][110]/spl par/Pd[001][010]/spl par/Cu[001][010]/spl par/Si[001][110] was confirmed. The hysteresis loops were characteristic of biaxial anisotropy and the anisotropy fields estimated from magnetization curves were in good agreement with the torque data. Uniaxial anisotropy was mixed with biaxial anisotropy in the torque data. Biaxial crystalline anisotropy decreased with decreasing film thickness while uniaxial anisotropy increased. With decreasing film thickness, the direction of uniaxial anisotropy was changed from [100] axis to [110] axis. The origin for the uniaxial anisotropy was the orthorhombic deformation of Fe layer which was more pronounced in thinner films.