Two modes of magnetic structure of nanocrystalline FeZrN films prepared by oblique-angle magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Abstract The rf oblique-angle magnetron sputtering was used to prepare nanocrystalline Fe77Zr7N16 (at.%) films (with grain size of 2–7 nm); the phase composition of the films is the α-Fe-based solid solution supersaturated with nitrogen and zirconium. The magnetic structure of the films is represented by stochastic domains. Using the correlation magnetometry method, two modes of stochastic domains were found, which correlate with two modes of the coercive force found in the magnetic hysteresis loops. Both modes of the coercive force are considered in terms of the random anisotropy model.