https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2008091
Pulsed excimer laser deposition of Permalloy thin films: structural and electrical properties
1
Centre de Recherche Nucléaire d'Alger, 2 Bd Frantz Fanon, BP 399, Alger-Gare, Alger, Algeria
2
Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sétif, 19000 Algeria
3
Division milieux ionisés et laser, Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, Baba Hassen, Alger, Algeria
4
Centre de Recherche Nucléaire de Draria, BP 43, Draria, Alger, Algeria
Corresponding author: guittoum@yahoo.fr
Received:
19
December
2007
Revised:
17
March
2008
Accepted:
1
April
2008
Published online:
4
June
2008
We report on the effect of thickness on the structural and electrical
properties of permalloy thin films Ni81Fe19 (Py). Permalloy films
were deposited onto Si(100) substrates at room temperature using a KrF
(wavelength of 248 nm, pulse duration of 30 ns) excimer laser at a fluence
of 3 J/cm2. The thickness ranges from 25 nm to 250 nm. The micrographs
reveal the formation of irregular droplets with dimensions between 4.6 μm and 0.24 μm. We show that all samples presented a strong 
texture. The lattice constant (a) monotonously increases with
increasing thickness. Also, we note that for thickness below 127 nm, the
lattice constant (a) is lower than the bulk value, however,
for thickness more than 127 nm, (a) is higher than 
. The grain size increases from 30 nm to 54 nm as the thickness increases
from 45 nm to 250 nm. The different contributions to the electrical
resistivity are investigated as a function of the Py thickness.
PACS: 79.20.Ds – Laser-beam impact phenomena / 75.50.Kj – Amorphous and quasicrystalline magnetic materials / 75.70.Ak – Magnetic properties of monolayers and thin films
© EDP Sciences, 2008
