Magnetic properties of RF sputtered Fe(N)/NiFeCo(N) films

Abstract

The magnetic properties of iron films can be made softer by depositing multilayers with NiFeCo and by adding nitrogen to the films. In both cases, the average grain size of the iron film is reduced. The anisotropy field, Hk, of Fe(N)/NiFeCo(N) films is shown to be a weighted average of the anisotropy fields of the constituent films, consistent with strong ferromagnetic coupling between the layers. Hk and the easy-axis coercivity, Hce, are significantly reduced by annealing. Both Hk and Hce increase with decreasing thickness below 0.5 mu m. The saturation magnetostriction, lambda s, increases with annealing, indicating the growth of interdiffusion zones.< >