Structure and magnetic properties of γ'-Fe ₄N films grown on MgO-buffered Si (0 0 1)

γ'-Fe ₄N thin films were grown on MgO-buffered Si (1 0 0) by pulsed laser deposition technique. Different crystallographic orientations and in-plane magnetic anisotropies were achieved by varying the growth temperature of the MgO buffer layer. When the MgO buffer layer was grown at room temperature, the γ'-Fe ₄N film shows isotropic in-plane magnetic properties without obvious texture; while in-plane magnetic anisotropy was recorded for the γ'-Fe ₄N films deposited on a 600 °C-grown-MgO buffer due to the formation of a (1 0 0)-oriented biaxial texture. Such a difference in in-plane magnetic anisotropy is attributed to the epitaxial growth of γ'-Fe ₄N film on an MgO buffer with relaxed strain when the MgO layer was grown at a high temperature of 600 °C.