Title :
Magnetic anisotropy of sputtered FeN films due to anisotropic columnar growth of grains
Author :
Jo, Soonchul ; Yeonbong Choi ; Ryu, Sanghyun
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electron. Eng., Soong Sil Univ., Seoul, South Korea
fDate :
9/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
FeN thin films were deposited by RF reactive diode sputtering to investigate magnetic anisotropy variation due to substrate tilt up to 45° during the film deposition. Their magnetic and morphological properties were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). As the substrate tilt angle was increased, an anisotropy in the direction parallel to the substrate tilt pivot edge was induced. SEM micrographs show columnar growth of grains elongated along the substrate tilt pivot edges. The magnitude of the anisotropy was estimated by assuming the film surface roughness (“hills”) are oblate ellipsoids. The shape anisotropy thus was estimated at 26 Oe at 45° substrate tilt, which corresponded reasonably well with the measured anisotropy change of 30 Oe
Keywords :
atomic force microscopy; ferromagnetic materials; grain growth; iron compounds; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic thin films; scanning electron microscopy; soft magnetic materials; sputter deposition; surface topography; AFM; FeN; FeN thin films; RF reactive diode sputtering; SEM; SEM micrographs; anisotropic columnar grain growth; anisotropy chang; atomic force microscopy; columnar growth; film deposition; film surface roughness; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic anisotropy variation; morphological properties; oblate ellipsoids; scanning electron microscopy; shape anisotropy; sputtered FeN films; substrate tilt; substrate tilt pivot edge; vibrating sample magnetometry; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Atomic force microscopy; Atomic measurements; Force measurement; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic films; Magnetic force microscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; Sputtering; Substrates;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on