Magnetic Softness of Fe-1.5 wt.%Si Single-Crystal Films Deposited on GaAs (111)

The magnetic softness of Fe-1.5 wt.%Si single-crystal films with (111) orientation was investigated. Fe-1.5 wt.%Si films deposited on GaAs (111) single-crystal substrates grow epitaxially with good (111) orientation parallel to the film plane. Coercivities of the Fe-1.5 wt.%Si films decrease as the film thickness decreases. A 300 A-thick film exhibits coercivity of 0.7 Oe. The permeability of a 1000 A thick film is 1400.