Rf-diode reactively sputtered FeAlN films, which are good candidates for high-density write head pole materials, usually have very large compressive residual stresses. In this paper we describe our efforts to lower the residual stress, and study the effects of lowered stress on the magnetic properties of the FeAlN films. It is found that increasing the total sputtering pressure while keeping the optimum Fe to N arrival flux constant can lower the residual stress. The films with lowered residual stress, however, are more susceptible to the formation of stripe domains which are detrimental to the magnetic properties. In order to avoid these stripe domains, the thickness of the film should not exceed the critical stripe domain onset thickness. For applications where thicker films are desired, we demonstrate that laminating single layer films whose thicknesses do not exceed the critical thickness produces films with good magnetic properties and acceptable residual stress.
Dense and nonporous amorphous aluminum oxide (AmAO) film was deposited onto platinized silicon substrate by sol-gel and spin coating technology. The evaporated aluminum film was deposited onto the AmAO film as top electrode. The hydrated AmAO film was utilized as a solid electrolyte for anodic oxidation of the aluminum electrode (Al) film under high electric field. The hydrated AmAO film was a high efficiency electrolyte, where a 45 nm thick Al film was anodized completely on a 210 nm thick hydrated AmAO film. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and breakdown phenomena of a dry and hydrated 210 nm thick AmAO film with a 150 nm thick Al electrode pad were studied in this work. Breakdown voltage of the dry and hydrated 210 nm thick AmAO film were 85 ± 3 V (405 ± 14 MV m(-1)) and 160 ± 5 V (762 ± 24 MV m(-1)), respectively. The breakdown voltage of the hydrated AmAO film increased about twice, owing to the self-healing behavior (anodic oxidation reaction). As an intuitive phenomenon of the self-healing behavior, priority anodic oxidation phenomena was observed in a 210 nm thick hydrated AmAO film with a 65 nm thick Al electrode pad. The results suggested that self-healing behavior (anodic oxidation reaction) was occurring nearby the defect regions of the films during I-V test. It was an effective electrical self-healing method, which would be able to extend to many other simple and complex oxide dielectrics and various composite structures.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.