Soft magnetic properties of Co-Fe-Al-N films

• Published in: Journal of applied physics Vol. 73; no. 12; pp. 8441 - 8446
• Main Authors: IWASAKI, H, AKASHI, R, OHSAWA, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Woodbury, NY American Institute of Physics 15.06.1993
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Domain effects, magnetization curves, and hysteresis; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic properties and materials; Metals. Metallurgy; Physics; FCC crystals; Magnetization; Rotational field; Experimental study; Lattice parameters; X ray diffraction; Pressure; Transmission electron microscopy; Transition metal Alloys; Thick film; Soft material; Static field; Preparation; Cobalt Aluminium Nitrogen Iron Alloys; Thermal annealing; Magnetic field; Radiofrequency sputtering
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/1.353415

This article reports on the relations between the magnetic properties and crystal structure of Co-Fe-Al-N films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering in a mixed Ar and N2 gas atmosphere. Slightly substrate-biased 4 at. % Al films showed a low coercivity of less than 80 A/m, a low magnetostriction of less than 1×10 −6, and a high saturation magnetic flux density of 1.7 T. These features were maintained after annealing at up to more than 500 °C. The low Hc was related to the crystal structure of a face-centered-cubic phase with an about 10-nm grain size. No detectable AlN was observed by an x-ray diffractometry even after annealing. However, the lattice constant after annealing was nearly equal to that of a Co-Fe alloy and the Al content increased with the increase in sputtering N2-gas content, suggesting the binding of Al and N atoms.