Magnetic anisotropy of nanostructured Fe–Ni–C coating produced by electroless deposition

The structural and magnetic properties of nanostructured Fe$_{100-x}$Ni$_x$–C (0 $<x<$ 100) coatings produced by electroless plating with different carbohydrates as reducing agents have been investigated. The phase-structural state of the films was studied by diffraction and electron microscopy. The Ni concentration ranges of FCC and BCC phases existence in electroless deposited films were determined. The surface morphology, saturation magnetization, local magnetic anisotropy field and coercivities of films are dependent on the iron content and type of reducing agent. The correlation between coercivity $H_{\mathrm{c}}$ and the anisotropy field of the magnetic stochastic domain which were established by correlation magnetometry suggests that the magnitude of $H_{\mathrm{c}}$ is mainly determined by this anisotropy.