Patent ID: 7354505

Claim:
A process for the preparation of epitaxial Ni 3 FeN layer, which comprises: (a) providing an epitaxial substrate which serves as a nucleation site for epitaxial growth of the Ni 3 FeN layer in a reaction chamber; (b) optionally providing an epitaxial buffer layer which serves as a nucleation site for epitaxial growth of the Ni 3 FeN layer in a reaction chamber; and c) sputter depositing the Ni 3 FeN layer onto the substrate or the buffer layer from a source of Ni 81 Fe 19 in a nitrogen atmosphere in a chamber at a reduced pressure and an elevated temperature to produce the epitaxial Ni 3 FeN wherein epitaxial Ni 3 FeN layer exhibits magnetic anisotropy, a single magnetic domain, and an essentially square transition movement upon switching of an external applied magnetic field direction providing a hysteresis loop.