Magnetic anisotropy induced by ion-beam incidence in FexN film

Fe_xN thin films prepared by the ion deposition method, using reactive low-energy nitrogen ions and oblique incidence, were evaluated for use as magnetic recording media with high corrosion resistance. To study the effect of the ion beam on the anisotropy, the effect of the oblique incidence was eliminated by setting the substrate normal to the direction of the iron vapor. A columnar structure with its axis perpendicular to the film surface was observed in the resulting films. An uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of 10⁵ erg/cm³ appeared in the plane of the film during the ion beam bombardment, and the easy direction of anisotropy was transverse to the plane of incidence of the ion beam