Study of CoNbFe films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

Author

Pan, Genhua ; Spencer, Alaric G. ; Howson, Ron P.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., Loughborough Univ. of Technol., UK

Volume

27

Issue

1

fYear

1991

fDate

1/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

664

Lastpage

668

Abstract

CoNbFe films were deposited by DC multisource sputtering and unbalanced DC single-magnetron sputtering. The film structures and magnetic properties were studied as a function of film composition and deposition parameters. Transmission electron microscopy study of the film structure and the measurement of film resistivity showed that films containing more than 12 at.% of Nb are amorphous, with a transition to crystalline films occurring in the 12-9-at.% range. The addition of small amounts of Fe reduces the H_c of the as-deposited films. For Co_87-xNb₁₃Fe_x films, the optimum Fe content is 5.0 at.%. The minimum H_c of CoNbFe films made by the multisource was 17 A/m, with a large anisotropy field H_k. Films made from a composite target on a single unbalanced magnetron had a minimum H_c of 6 A/m and a minimum H_k of 15 A/m. This is attributed to the low-energy and high-density ion bombardment of the growing films and the smaller angle of incidence from the single source

Keywords

cobalt alloys; coercive force; ferromagnetic properties of substances; iron alloys; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic hysteresis; magnetic properties of amorphous substances; magnetic thin films; niobium alloys; sputter deposition; sputtered coatings; transmission electron microscope examination of materials; CoNbFe films; DC magnetron sputtering; TEM observations; amorphous; coercivity; deposition parameters; film composition; film structures; hysteresis loop; large anisotropy field; magnetic properties; magnetic thin films; multisource sputtering; single-magnetron sputtering; transition to crystalline films; Amorphous magnetic materials; Conductivity; Iron; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic films; Magnetic properties; Niobium; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Sputtering; Transmission electron microscopy;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.101114

Filename

101114