Preparation, structure and magnetic properties of the nanostructural Ni–C films obtained by magnetron deposition

Three series of films were obtained by magnetron sputtering of the composite C–Ni target with different ratios C/Ni (vol.%) = 60/40; 40/60; 30/70. The effect of the substrate temperature on the structure and the size of film-forming nickel nanocrystallites with a carbon shell was studied with using X-ray diffraction analysis. The cluster nature of film deposition on the growth surface was established by using atomic force microscopy. The saturation magnetization of nickel nanoparticles 4$\pi$MS was measured by the inductive-frequency method and the substrate temperature dependence was studied. It has been shown that the films with a high carbon content exhibit magnetism only when deposited on hot substrates. The films with the minimum carbon concentration exhibit ferromagnetic behavior even when deposited on a relatively cold substrate.