Title :
Fabrication and characterization of Fe81Ga19 thin films
Author :
Weston, J.L. ; Butera, A. ; Lograsso, T. ; Shamsuzzoha, M. ; Zana, I. ; Zangari, G. ; Barnard, J.
Author_Institution :
MINT Center, Alabama Univ., Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
fDate :
9/1/2002 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
In order to incorporate magnetostrictive actuators into microelectromechanical systems devices, thin film magnetoelastic materials must have both a high magnetostriction and a low saturation field. This work focuses on the fabrication and characterization of [110] oriented epitaxial FeGa thin films grown epitaxially on Cu on Si. The material in the bulk exhibits a large magnetostriction and in thin film form is here shown to be easily saturated in all in-plane orientations in fields under 500 Oe. Thin (less than 160 nm) FeGa films grow according to a single [110] variant on Cu[100]/Si[100]. On the contrary, thick (160 nm) films exhibit multiple [110] variants.
Keywords :
ferromagnetic materials; gallium alloys; iron alloys; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic epitaxial layers; magnetoelastic effects; magnetostriction; magnetostrictive devices; microactuators; sputter deposition; vapour phase epitaxial growth; 160 nm; Cu-Si; Cu[100]/Si[100]; Fe81Ga19; Fe81Ga19 thin films; [110] oriented epitaxial FeGa thin films; characterization; fabrication; high magnetostriction; in-plane orientations; large magnetostriction; low saturation field; magnetic anisotropy; magnetostrictive actuators; microelectromechanical systems devices; multiple [110] variants; single [110] variant; thick films; thin film magnetoelastic materials; Actuators; Fabrication; Iron; Magnetic devices; Magnetic materials; Magnetostriction; Magnetostrictive devices; Microelectromechanical systems; Saturation magnetization; Semiconductor thin films;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2002.802468
