Magnetic properties of CoNi thin films evaporated near the grazing angle

The effect of thickness on the magnetic properties of near-grazing-angle evaporated thin films is discussed. A film with a optimum thickness of about 2000 AA has coercivity of 2100 Oe. All films have an out-of-plane anisotropy with an easy axis inclined about 15 degrees -18 degrees to the film plane and exhibit a shifted M-type angular dependence of coercivity. Rotational hysteresis loss measurements indicate a noncoherent rotation magnetization reversal process along the columnar direction.<
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