Properties of Fe-Zr-N Thin Films

Gases emerging from Fe-Zr-N films with various compositions during heating were analyzed by thermal desorption spectroscopy. The structures and magnetic properties of films were also investigated. H2, N2 and Ar were detected at 300-400°C, 500°C and 650°C, respectively. Larger amounts of N2 were emitted by films which contained larger amounts of N2. The changes in composition of films due to the emerging N2 is as follows. The composition changed for N/Zr ratios ranging from N/Zr≫1 to N/Zr~1, but was unchanged when N/Zr1. A (100) preferred orientation occurred in films in which the composition was N~Zr≫8 at% in the as-deposited state, while either a (100) orientation or random orientation occurred in all other cases. Under the former conditions, Fe-Zr-N films showed excellent soft magnetic properties and thermal stability up to 700°C.