The effect of annealing on the microstructure and magnetic properties of Fe-Ta-Cr-N thin films

Abstract

A b s t r a c t -The effect of Tanneal on Fe-Ta-Cr-N thin films has been studied. Crystallization of Fe was found to precede TaN. Results showed that Tanneal controls not only the grain size but also the amount of Ta and N which is in solution within the Fe matrix and the magnetic properties was determined largely by these two factors. In addition, TaN was found to nucleate both homogeneously and heterogeneously, according to the K-S OR, with respect to the Fe grain.

Microstructure and magnetism in FeTaN films deposited in the nanocrystalline state

“…A different design depends on directly using soft nanocrystalline materials, focusing interest on the growth of as-deposited soft magnetic nanostructured FeXN ͑XϽ20 w/o͒, again by sputtering. During the past five years, many results have been reported on the former materials for numerous compositions [1][2][3][4][5] and on the latter, 6-10 leading today to a large but rather confusing pattern of magnetic properties. The soft magnetic properties in nanocrystalline ferromagnetic films are related to their fine grain size, usually smaller than the ferromagnetic exchange length.…”