Magnetically Soft Co-C Granular-like Amorphous Thin Films With High Resistivity and High Saturation Flux Density

Abstract

AbstractGranular-like amorphous CoxC1-x nanocomposite thin films, with x in the range of 60-75% in atomic percentage, have been prepared by pulsed filtered vacuum arc deposition. The structures of the films were characterized by non-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The in-plane magnetic hysteresis loops were measured by a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer at room temperature. The electrical transport properties were measured by the four-probe technique at various temperatures ranging from 20 to 300 K. The films were found to be magnetically soft with coercivities in the range of 2 to 12 Oe, resistivities in the range of 130 to 300 μΩcm, and magnetic saturation flux densities in the range of 6 to 13 kG. The films also showed good thermal stability in their structural, electrical and magnetic properties upon annealing up to 200°C in a vacuum furnace.