title: Investigation of Ti layer thickness dependent structural, magnetic, and photoemission study of nanometer range Ti/Ni multilayer structures.
abstract: Structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of Ti/Ni multilayer (ML) samples as a function of Ti layer thickness are studied and reported in this paper. For this purpose [Ti (t nm)/Ni (5 nm)] x 10 ML samples, where t = 3, 5, and 7 nm have been deposited by using electron beam evaporation technique under UHV conditions at room temperature. Structure of ML samples were determined by using XRD (X-ray diffraction) technique and observed that Titanium is deposited mainly in amorphous nature with FCC structure at lower Ti layer thickness of 3 nm, which transform to crystalline HCP structures above than this Ti layer thickness. Corresponding fitted GIXRR (grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity) patterns shows asymmetric nature of Ti-Ni and Ni-Ti interfaces because of heavy intermixing and interdiffusion of Ni and Ti atoms at Ti-Ni interfaces at lower Ti layer thickness. The depth profiling core level and valence band measurements carried out by using XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) technique confirms the interdiffusion and intermixing leading to Ti-Ni alloy phase formation at interfaces during deposition, particularly at lower Ti layer thickness of 3 nm. The corresponding magnetization behavior of ML samples has been investigated using Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) technique and observed that, coercitivity decreases while saturation magnetization increases with Ti layer thickness variations. These results are interpreted and discussed in terms of observed micro-structural changes due to Ti layer thickness vitiations in Ti/Ni multilayer samples.
authors.affiliation: UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, University Campus, Indore 452017, M. P, India.
authors.forename: Pramod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhatt
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Phase
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D008027:Light; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008280:Magnetics; D008422:Materials Testing; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D010783:Photometry; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C040654:titanium nickelide; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium