Morphological and structural investigations of Co–MgF2 granular thin films grown by thermionic vacuum arc

Abstract Co–MgF 2 granular films were deposited in thermionic vacuum arc plasma with simultaneous ignition of plasma in Co and MgF 2 vapours. The samples were investigated by transmission electron microscopy which revealed Co grains of a few nm in diameter embedded in the MgF 2 matrix. The crystalline phase for Co and MgF 2 was studied by electron diffraction after selecting a typical area of the sample. Low-angle x-ray diffraction method was used to verify the bulk crystalline structure of the samples. The surface morphologies of the films were investigated by atomic force microscopy. The magneto-optical longitudinal Kerr rotation spectra of the films were also measured and compared.