Magnetic properties of Fe/Fe-N and Fe/Cu-N multilayered films having intermediate layers containing nitrogen

Author

Ono, H. ; Fujinaga, M. ; Yonemoto, T. ; Miyagawa, T. ; Yamamoto, Hiroshi

Author_Institution

Div. of Tech. Res., Kawasaki Steel Corp., Chiba, Japan

Volume

31

Issue

1

fYear

1995

Firstpage

795

Lastpage

799

Abstract

The structures and magnetic properties of Fe/Fe-N and Fe/Cu-N multilayered films having intermediate layers containing nitrogen were investigated. Fe/Fe-N films formed by alternate Fe sputtering and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) nitrogen plasma exposure had Fe layers containing approximately 3 at% nitrogen, the /spl alpha/-Fe(110) lattice spacing being larger than that of pure iron. This expansion of the /spl alpha/-Fe(110) lattice spacing was observed after Fe deposition. The Fe layers containing a little nitrogen improved the soft magnetic properties. Fe/Cu-N multilayered films formed by the alternation of Fe sputtering and Cu-N nitrogen reactive sputtering also showed expansion of the /spl alpha/-Fe(110) lattice spacing and reduction of the Fe crystallite size with increasing partial N/sub 2/ gas pressure (PN/sub 2/) during Cu-N reactive sputtering. The Fe/Cu-N multilayered films achieved minimum coercivity at PN/sub 2/=7%.<>

Keywords

coercive force; copper compounds; iron; iron compounds; magnetic multilayers; soft magnetic materials; sputtered coatings; /spl alpha/-Fe(110) lattice spacing; ECR plasma exposure; Fe crystallite size; Fe-CuN; Fe-FeN; intermediate N-containing layers; minimum coercivity; multilayered films; soft magnetic properties; sputtering; Cyclotrons; Electrons; Iron; Lattices; Magnetic films; Magnetic properties; Magnetic resonance; Nitrogen; Plasma properties; Sputtering;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.364595

Filename

364595