Annealing temperature dependence of <i>T</i> <i>C</i> of thin-film Gd grown on a glass substrate

Abstract

Thin films of Gd were grown on a glass substrate with a sputtering technique. Measurements of x-ray diffraction, magnetization, and electrical resistance were carried out for different samples that were annealed at various temperatures after the deposition. The deposited films are polycrystalline of hcp structure with preferred orientation, with the (100) plane parallel to the sample surface. The estimated Curie temperature TC of these films changes between 273 and 293 K, depending on the annealing temperature. It is found that this variation of TC is correlated with the relaxation of lattice imperfections.