Magnetic properties of Fe–Co ferromagnetic layers and Fe–Mn/Fe–Co bilayers obtained by thermo-ionic vacuum arc

Simple Fe–Co ferromagnetic films and Fe–Mn antiferromagnetic films of different compositions were grown on epitaxial Si substrates with Ta buffer layers via thermo-ionic vacuum arc method. Fe–Co/Fe–Mn bilayer structures were obtained by following similar growing conditions as for the simple films. The magnetic behavior concerning easy axis distribution, anisotropy energy and coercive field of the Fe–Co films exchange coupled to the antiferromagnetic layers were discussed with respect to the magnetic behavior of the simple, uncoupled, ferromagnetic films. The composition of the antiferromagnetic films has a sensible influence on the magnetic parameters of the exchange coupled ferromagnetic films. The largest coupling and the narrowest easy axis distribution are induced in the bilayer system with equatomic composition of the Fe–Mn antiferromagnetic layer.