We report an experimental approach to separate temperature dependent reversible and irreversible contributions to the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of Fe films grown at low temperatures on Cu(001) substrates. The surface anisotropy $K_S(T)$ is found to decrease linearly with temperature, causing a thermally induced spin reorientation into the plane. The irreversible shift of the spin reorientation transition and the coercivity of the iron films are directly correlated to the increasing Fe island size during annealing. The increased coercivity is discussed in terms of domain wall energy inhomogeneities provided by the islands.

• Received 18 December 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.217203