Influences of Process Condition of Magnetron Sputtering on Magnetostrictive Susceptibility of Fe<SUB>2.2</SUB>Sm Alloy Film

Abstract

Since morphological interface of iron-samarium alloy thin film prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering process is controlled by substrate temperature, sputtering argon gas pressure and residual gas pressure, influences of changes of morphology and its interface on compressive (negative) magnetostrictive susceptibility of Fe 2.2 Sm alloy films are investigated. Decreasing the pressures of sputtering argon gas enhances the magnetostrictive susceptibility. The high susceptibility is also found under the low pressures of residual (impurity) gas at each substrate temperatures (T s ) from 423 to 523 K. The clear interface cannot be observed in the densely packed amorphous phase, when the high magnetostrictive susceptibility is obtained. Since the decreasing in impurity atoms at the unclear interface easily changes the domain direction and then doesn't prevent to move the magnetic domain wall in the amorphous phase, influences of the residual gas pressure on magnetostrictive susceptibility are explained by not only morphological interface but also its oxidation.