Ni/Cu(1 0 0) is known to exhibit an "inverse" spin reorientation transition. In contrast to Fe or Co ultrathin films, the magnetization (M) rotates from in-plane to out-of-plane upon increasing the thickness. The effect of submonolayer coverage of Fe on Ni/Cu(1 0 0) is studied by means of Magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE). © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.