Highly amorphous Fe90Zr10 thin films, and the influence of crystallites on the magnetism

A method for depositing highly amorphous, iron-rich Fe100 − xZrx thin films on to room temperature substrates is presented. The method involves co-depositing Fe and Zr on to an amorphous AlZr layer. Experimental proof that the structures are completely amorphous is given by transmission electron microscopy and polarized neutron reflectometry. The reflectometry measurements also give an indication of the impact that Fe crystallite impurities have on the magnetic structure and properties of amorphous FeZr. The results are consistent with previous investigations on bulk samples, which showed that crystalline impurities make the magnetic structure more non-collinear.