Thin film magnetism states

As the thickness of a film is reduced, the pseudomorphism is improved and the state of strain generally becomes more uniform. At the same time, however, the definition of magnetic phase structure may be complicated by boundary effects, and the sharp symmetry distinctions among alternative phases is blurred. For a recent review of thin-film magnetism see the article by Falicov et al. (1990), which deals mainly with transition... 

Thin-film XRD is important in many technological applications, because of its abilities to accurately determine strains and to uniquely identify the presence and composition of phases. In semiconduaor and optical materials applications, XRD is used to measure the strain state, orientation, and defects in epitaxial thin films, which affect the film s electronic and optical properties. For magnetic thin films, it is used to identify phases and to determine preferred orientations, since these can determine magnetic properties. In metallurgical applications, it is used to determine strains in surfiice layers and thin films, which influence their mechanical properties. For packaging materials, XRD can be used to investigate diffusion and phase formation at interfaces... 

ALLOYING ASPECTS OF THE MAGNETIC GROUND STATE AND ANISOTROPY OF Fe/Cu THIN FILM OVERLAYERS... 

To date, a number of experimental studies of the excited states of ZnPc have been made available, including gas phase [172], thin film [173], solution [174, 175], and argon matrix [176] absorption spectra, solution [174, 175] and argon matrix [176] MCD spectra, solution luminescence spectra [177], and luminescence and magnetic circularly polarized luminescence (MCPL) spectra in an argon matrix [177]. 

---