Magnetic Domain Structure of Sm(Co, Cu, Fe, Zr)$_{\rm x}$ Thick Permanent Magnetic Films

Abstract

Thick permanent magnetic films have potential applications in magnetic microelectromechanical systems. In this paper, we systematically study the effect of deposition parameters including buffer layer, annealing condition and deposition temperature on the structure and magnetic properties of thick Sm-Co-Cu-Fe-Zr films fabricated by magnetron sputtering. It is found that W instead of Cr is more suitable for a buffer layer for preparing the high quality of Sm-Co-Cu-Fe-Zr films. With increasing annealing temperature, the phase in the film was changed from the 2:17 phase to the mixture of 1:5 and 2:17 phases. However, the cellular structure was not formed. The coercivity values of the films were not influenced by the cooling rate. The deposition temperature strongly affects the microstructure, texture and domain structure of the films. The Sm2Co17 phase in high-temperature deposited film prefers a (110) texture, while that in RT deposited film has a (110) and (200) texture. The magnetic domain structure observation indicates that the prepared Sm-Co-Cu-Fe-Zr films exhibit a character of interaction domain. The domain size of the films changes with the deposition temperature.