Remanence Ratio Research Articles

Exploration of Rayleigh loop vis-to-vis high applied magnetic field hysteresis loops phenomena in barium hexaferrite-Copper ferrite ferrimagnetic composites

Recent research interest has surged in magnetic composite materials, driven by the increasing demand for permanent magnets, magnetic fluids, and magnetic sensors, in various technological applications. Among all these materials, the 1BaFe12O19 + (x) CuFe2O4 composites have developed as particularly promising in terms of its magnetic properties. However, despite its potential, detailed insights into the magnetic characteristics of this composite remain scarce in the existing literature. In this article, we address this gap by thoroughly investigating the magnetic properties of the 1BaFe12O19 + (x) CuFe2O4 composite across a range of compositions (x = 1 to 6). This present study focused on both low and high applied magnetic fields, examining the material’s behavior in Rayleigh region as well as under intense magnetic influences. At low magnetic fields, the M−H loop exhibits distinctive elliptical or lens shape. Notably, the susceptibility (χm) initially increases but then declines after reaching a critical threshold with increasing magnetic field strength. The analysis of different magnetic parameters, including maximum magnetization (Mm), remanent magnetization (Mr), coercive field (Hc), and the ratio of remanent to maximum magnetization (Mr/Mm), derived from the M−H loops across different applied magnetic fields have been reported here. According to present research, these magnetic parameters show a growing trendency with increasing applied magnetic field strength until they get close to saturation. Results are correlated with the magnetic domain wall dynamics.

Exploring the effect of exchange coupling in (SrFe9.8Al2La0.2O19)1-x/(Co0.7Zn0.3Fe2O4)x nanocomposites synthesised by sol–gel auto combustion method

Extensive research has been conducted over the last decade to develop permanent magnets utilizing less rare earth materials. Exchange-coupled nanocomposite magnets are a fascinating development in the field of permanent magnets. They involve the combination of hard and soft ferrites, resulting in a unique and evolving magnet. Here we present an in-depth structural, morphological and magnetic characterization of ferrite-based nanostructures obtained through a bottom-up sol−gel approach. The combination of high coercivity of a hard phase SrFe9.8Al2La0.2O19 (SFALO) and high saturation magnetization of a soft phase, Co0.7Zn0.3Fe2O4 (CZFO), allowed us to develop exchange-coupled bi-magnetic nanocomposites by varying the mass percentage (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 1). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) up to 1200 °C was used to investigate the material’s thermal properties with the phase formation temperature. Detailed atomic/nano-scale structural characterizations of these nanocomposites were performed by X-ray diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The average particle size was calculated from the SEM analysis and it was observed that most of the composites with ratio x = 0.1, 0.3 & 0.4 was 145 nm and x = 0.2 was 165 nm. The Switching Field Distribution (SFD) curve revealed the exchange coupling between soft and hard magnetic particles. The findings indicate that the inclusion of a soft magnetic phase has a considerable impact on the exchange coupling between the hard and soft ferrite phases. As the spinel concentration increased, in the composite the saturation magnetization increased from 18 emu/g to 48 emu/g. From the stroner-wholfrathmodel, the decrease in the remanence ratio below 0.5 concludes the crystallites are randomly oriented. The nanocomposite with the ratio x = 0.1 was observed with the high magneto crystalline anisotropy of 2183.23 × 102 (J/m3) and a high energy product (BH)max of 5.5 kJ/m3. The aforementioned features of nanocomposites demonstrate their potential for use in permanent magnet applications.

Magnetic and structural enhanced characterization of Zr-Al substituted M-type barium hexaferrite

Co-precipitation method was used to fabricate Zr-Al substituted M-Type barium hexagonal ferrite with a unique composition Ba1-xZr0.5x Al0.3 Fe11.7 O19 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5). The materials were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and a magnetic hysteresis loop. For each sample, the values of Ms, Hc, Mr, remanence ratios (Mr/Ms), and magneton number (nB) are determined using M-H loops. The Mr/Ms ratio of the synthesized hexaferrites particles is between 0.001017 and 0.143103, indicating a single magnetic domain. FTIR spectroscopy was used to study the inter-atomic forces and gives information about the absorption and emission spectrum for solids, liquids and gases. The results indicate that the synthesized compounds may have potential use as perpendicular magnetic recording media due to the growing trend in saturation magnetization, remanence, and coercivity.

Impact of substituting Cu2+/Ce3+ cations on the structural, magnetic and electrical properties of cobalt nano ferrites

The nano ferrite compounds Co1-xCuxFe2-yCeyO4 (with x values of 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75, and y values of 0.0, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09) were synthesized through the sol-gel auto-combustion method. The characteristics of spinel ferrites were tailored by creating nano ferrites with desirable properties, which were then sintered at 1150 °C for 2 h in the presence of rare earth (Ce3+) and transition metals (Cu2+). They were investigated using dielectric, FTIR, FESEM, XRD, VSM, and DC electrical resistivity experiments. XRD examination verified the samples' cubic spinel structure by measuring the average crystallite size, x-ray density, and lattice constant. FESEM images revealed grain sizes ranging from 41.07 to 156 nm. FTIR spectra in the range of 415 cm−1 to 430 cm−1 further supported the substitution of Cu2+/Ce3+ ions in the tetrahedral sites, indicated by an increase in the lattice parameter. Measurements of the remanence ratio, saturation magnetization, anisotropy constant, coercivity, and magnetic moment, among other magnetic characteristics, were made. Higher concentrations of Cu2+/Ce3+ ions were found to considerably reduce magnetic saturation (Ms), coercivity (Hc), and remanence (Mr). These materials were semiconducting because their activation energy varied between 0.52 and 0.62 eV, and their DC resistivity increased with increasing Cu2+/Ce3+ concentration. Above 1 MHz, the dielectric properties became frequency-independent and decreased with increasing frequency. These ferrites seem highly potential for devices working at high frequency.

Anisotropic SmFe10V2 Bulk Magnets with Enhanced Coercivity via Ball Milling Process.

Anisotropic bulk magnets of ThMn12-type SmFe10V2 with a high coercivity (Hc) were successfully fabricated. Powders with varying particle sizes were prepared using the ball milling process, where the particle size was controlled with milling time. A decrease in Hc occurred in the heat-treated bulk pressed from large-sized powders, while heavy oxidation excessively occurred in small powders, leading to the decomposition of the SmFe10V2 (1-12) phase. The highest Hc of 8.9 kOe was achieved with powders ball-milled for 5 h due to the formation of the grain boundary phase. To improve the maximum energy product ((BH)max), which is only 2.15 MGOe in the isotropic bulk, anisotropic bulks were prepared using the same powders. The easy alignment direction, confirmed by XRD and EBSD measurements, was <002>. Significant enhancements were observed, with saturation magnetization (Ms) increasing from 59 to 79 emu/g and a remanence ratio (Mr/Ms) of 83.7%. (BH)max reaching 7.85 MGOe. For further improvement of magnetic properties, controlling oxidation is essential to form a uniform grain boundary phase and achieve perfect alignment with small grain size.

Strain engineering to tune the damping and magnetism in epitaxial spinel ferrite thin films by miscut substrate

Low-damping magnetic insulators like LiFe5O8 have gained considerable attention in recent years for their exceptional properties such as low energy loss and high gyromagnetic ratio, making them suitable in microwave and spintronic fields. However, due to factors such as crystalline quality and stress, the damping behavior of LiFe5O8 thin films falls below expectations. In this work, we utilize miscut substrate to modulate the structure and magnetic properties of LiFe5O8 films. We found that miscut angles can improve the crystalline quality of the film. However, a miscut angle of 6° resulted in a phase transition from tetragonal to orthorhombic in the LiFe5O8 phase. In particular, the out-of-plane ferromagnetic resonance linewidth of the orthorhombic LiFe5O8 (LFO) film was significantly reduced compared to that of the tetragonal LFO film on a non-miscut substrate, which could be attributed to the structural change. The orthorhombic LFO film also exhibited lower damping and a higher in-plane remanence ratio, indicating superior microwave magnetic properties. These findings suggest that miscut strain could be a viable method for improving the microwave magnetism of LFO films.

Influence of the Mn/Fe ratio on structural, optical, electrical and magnetic characteristics of MnFeMgNiO spinel ferrites

MnxFe2-xMg0.5Ni0.5O4spinel ferrite nanoparticles (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were prepared utilizing a flash auto-combustion technique. The as-prepared ferrite nanoparticles have been investigated and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR). The dielectric, optical and magnetic characteristics of the synthesized spinel ferrite samples were investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and vibration sample magnetometers (VSM). The cubic phase spinel ferrite with space group Fd-3m was identified through XRD. X-ray diffraction indicates that the lattice constant increases and the crystallite size declines with increasing Mn concentration. The positions of the cations and their vibrational modes in the crystal structure with oxygen ions are demonstrated through the FTIR spectra. The morphology was examined using HRTEM showed polycrystalline cubic spinel structure with faceted planes. The optical band gap Eg was determined using Kubelka–Munk model where, it decreased from 1.79 eV to1.24 eV as Mn content increases. The replacement of manganese significantly affects the dielectric characteristics of the synthesized spinel ferrites. The real (ε′), imaginary (ε″) parts of dielectric constant and ac conductivity exhibit an increase in their values as manganese substitution (x) increases from 0 to 0.25 mol %, and thereafter decreases. The presence of a relaxation phenomenon in all prepared samples except the undoped sample (Ni0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4) is shown by the imaginary modulus’s (M′′) dependence on frequency. The magnetic properties exhibited soft ferrite nature with small hysteresis curve for all spinel ferrites samples. The magnetic properties of MnxFe2-xMg0.5Ni0.5O4 nanoparticles were measured and analysed, including saturation magnetization (Ms), remanence (Mr), coercivity (Hc), and squareness ratio. (Ms), and (Mr), exhibit an increase in their values as manganese substitution (x) increases from 0 to 0.25 mol %, and thereafter decreases while squareness ratio decreased. The magnetic parameters greatly affected by Mn substitution ratio.

Magnetic Behaviour, and initial permeability of green synthesized Co2+ substituted Ni-Zn ferrite

This study investigates the magnetic properties of Ni0.55−xZn0.45CoxFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.45, 0.55) ferrite nanoparticles synthesized via the green synthesis route using orange juice as a green reductant. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant (Ms) and the Bohr magneton number (nB) of the Ni-Zn ferrites increase linearly with an increase in the content of Co2+ ions. The magnetic properties such as Saturation magnetization, Coercive force, and remanence ratio (Mr / Ms) are determined. The Curie temperature for the studied ferrites is found to be reduced upon doping with cobalt ions and is considered as the weakening of the A-B exchange interaction.

Effect of annealing temperature on crystallographic texture, magnetic and microwave properties of barium ferrite thin films

Due to it has large saturation magnetization (Ms), high magnetocrystalline anisotropy field and high ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) frequency, barium ferrite (BaM) has attracted more and more attentions in the fields of magnetic recording media, permanent magnets and microwave devices. Here, BaM thin films were deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates, and the effect of annealing temperature on the microstructure, magnetic and microwave properties of barium ferrite thin films was investigated in detail. It is found that when the BaM thin film was annealed at 1035 °C, it has good properties. The XRD data provide clear evidence that the BaM thin films have high c-axis orientation, and the Lotgering factor is as high as 0.96. The AFM morphology show that BaM grains are out of the film plane, and they are hexagonal. The magnetic hysteresis curves indicated that both saturated magnetization (4πMs), remanence ratio and coercive (Hc) for out of plane increase with increasing Ta first, then decreased, and get the maximum value at 1035 °C. The ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement show that the FMR linewidth is 143 Oe@50 GHz, it means that this this sample has low microwave loss in millimeter wave loss, and the FMR absorption can be tuned by applied magnetic field. These results make sure that this BaM thin film is possible use in millimeter wave devices such as filers, circulators and isolators.

Geomagnetic paleointensity dating of mid-ocean ridge basalts from the neo-volcanic zone of the Central Indian Ridge

Describing the evolution of the neo-volcanic zone in the spreading ridge is essential for understanding the dynamics and environments of abyssal basins. However, the absolute dating of ocean floor basalts is generally difficult. As a characteristic age indicator, absolute intensity of past geomagnetic field (absolute paleointensity, API) is useful to date ocean floor basalts. In this study, we adopted the Tsunakawa–Shaw method to measure APIs of whole-rock seafloor basalts collected from a conical cone on the Central Indian Ridge and performed rock magnetic experiments. We conducted the experiments on a total of 18 specimens (two or three specimens from each of eight lava sites). Six specimens from two lava sites with different morphologies (pillow and sheet), three for each, passed the acceptance criteria. API means at site level are 33.0 ± 1.0 and 35.8 ± 1.7 μT, respectively. The similarity of API site means suggests that they erupted within a short period. These site-level API means are approximately 0.7 to 0.8 times the present geomagnetic intensity of 46.0 μT at the sampling sites. The accepted specimens show higher Curie temperature, lower initial intensity of natural remanent magnetization, higher ratio of saturation remanence to saturation magnetization (Mrs/Ms), and signal of harder magnetic mineral than rejected ones. Our primary comparison between the two site-level API means and the 1590–present high-resolution IGRF-13 + gufm1 model constrains that the eruption timing of the conical cone to be < 1590 CE. When we compared the two site-level API means with the paleointensity curves calculated from the BIGMUDI4k.1 and ArchKalmag14 k.r, we found that they overlap in the period of − 7575 to −1675 CE or − 25 to 1590 CE, which may be the eruption timing of the conical cone. We concluded that timing of recent volcanic eruption in abyssal environment could be investigated by using appropriate rock magnetic selection and carefully examined API.Graphical

Structure and magnetism of AlCoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy

We report on the investigation of magnetic and structural properties of AlCoCrCuFeNi, which is known to crystallize in a dual phase solid solution: the face-centred cubic (FCC) or the body-centred cubic (BCC). The results of neutron (NPD) and synchrotron powder diffraction (SXRD) allow to partially resolve magnetic information coming from BCC and FCC phases, which is impossible in the bulk magnetic measurements. Electron diffraction (PED) revealed that AlCoCrCuFeNi forms dendritic microstructure with the Cu-rich FCC phase and the Ni-rich BCC phase. Lattice parameters obtained from PED method are in good agreement with parameters obtained after refinement on the basis of powder X-ray diffraction measurements. The local crystal and electronic structure around Co was studied using Co K X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). The magnetic measurements show that AlCoCrCuFeNi reveal a ferromagnetic transition at about 330 K and displays magnetic hysteresis loop at the room temperature. Results from NPD suggest that the magnetic moment is mostly located in the BCC subsystem. The alloy shows soft magnetic properties. Saturated magnetizations (Ms), remanence ratio (Mr/Ms) and coercivity (Hc) of the cast are estimated to be 45.10 emu/g, 5.1 % and 56 Oe at 300 K, respectively. Finally, the BCC-FCC phase transformation up to 673 K (400 °C) was investigated using temperature dependent NPD, where a possible second BCC phase was identified.

High Efficiency and Flexible Modulation of Spintronic Terahertz Emitters in Synthetic Antiferromagnets.

Spintronic terahertz (THz) emitters based on synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) of FM1/Ru/FM2 (FM: ferromagnet) have shown great potential for achieving coherent superposition and significant THz power enhancement due to antiparallel magnetization alignment. However, key issues regarding the effects of interlayer exchange coupling and net magnetization on THz emissions remain unclear, which will inevitably hinder the performance improvement and practical application of THz devices. In this work, we have investigated the femtosecond laser-induced THz emission in Pt (3)/CoFe (3)/Ru (tRu = 0-3.5)/CoFe (tCoFe = 1.5-10)/Pt (3) (in units of nm) films with compensated and uncompensated magnetic moments. Antiferromagnetic (AF) coupling occurs in the Ru thickness ranges of 0.2-1.1 and 1.9-2.3 nm, with the first peak (tRu = 0.4 nm) of the AF coupling field (Hex) significantly higher than that of the second peak (2.0 nm). Rather high THz amplitude is found for the samples with strong AF coupling. Nevertheless, despite the same remanence ratio of zero, the THz amplitude for the symmetric SAF films declines significantly as the tRu decreases from 0.8 to 0.4 nm, which is mainly ascribed to the noncolinear magnetization vectors due to the increased biquadratic coupling term. Specifically, we demonstrate that an asymmetric SAF structure with a dominant FM layer is more favored than the completely compensated one, which could generate significantly enhanced THz electric field with well-controlled polarity and intensity. In addition, as the temperature decreases, the THz emission intensity increases for the SAF samples of tRu = 0.9 nm with negligible biquadratic coupling, which is contrary to the decreasing trend of the tRu = 0.4 nm sample and has been attributed to the greatly enhanced Hex.

Low Temperature Magnetic Properties of Variably Oxidized Natural and Synthetic Siderite

AbstractSiderite (FeCO3) is an important ferrous iron carbonate in the geochemical cycling of iron, as it is a sink for iron under reducing conditions. However, its detection is not straightforward with classical analytical approaches because in natural samples it is often fine‐grained and/or occurs in low concentrations. In this study, we explore the analytical potential of low‐temperature magnetometry. Synthetic siderites with a limited amount of associated ferric iron of up to 5 mol% and some natural siderites were subjected to investigation. Maxima in the cooling curves in a 5 T magnetic field shows that the Néel temperature of siderite is at 37 K in agreement with literature data. Those maxima appear at a higher temperature in the synthetic siderites with associated/sorbed ferric iron; it is 45 K for the 5 mol% Fe3+ synthesis. With the increasing amount of ferric iron, the synthetic siderites show an increasingly prominent remanence tail beyond the nominal Néel temperature in field‐cooled (FC) and zero‐field‐cooled (ZFC) warming curves of the remanent magnetization acquired in 5 T at 5 K. Fine‐grained siderite alters in air on laboratory time scales which is manifested by more pronounced remanence tails up to higher temperatures. Siderite's presence is best diagnosed by evaluating a combination of FC warming curves and a FC/ZFC remanence ratio &gt;3 at 5 K. Standard addition experiments of FC warming curves enable the determination of siderite down to 0.1 wt%.

Characterization of long-term magnetic stability in sintered MnBi: Influence of exposing time and storage conditions

This study investigated the evolution of magnetic properties in low-temperature vacuum-sintered MnBi samples over an 18-month period at room temperature. Two sample conditions were examined: one exposed to ambient air in powder form and the other softly compressed within a sealed tube. Over time, both samples demonstrated an enhanced remanence ratio, resulting in a significant increase of over 60% in the energy product (BH)max. The compressed sample in the tube exhibited greater magnetic alignment and slightly higher values of (BH)max. Distinct evolution patterns of the M-H curves were observed in the two samples. Oxides were detected in the as-prepared samples, showing a slight increase during the exposure period. Furthermore, the particle size experienced a substantial growth from approximately 10 µm to 30 µm. These changes in magnetic properties were attributed to the continuous formation of MnBi, governed by the diffusion mechanism, and the creation of new complex oxides. The magnetic and phase stabilities of MnBi could benefit from its Mn/MnBi/Bi core/double-shell structure. The diffusion mechanism was proposed as the primary factor contributing to the long-term enhancement of (BH)max in the preserved MnBi samples. To describe the increase in (BH)max, a relation between (BH)max and diffusion length was established.

Study on the Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Nd-Fe-B/Fe-Co Composite Nanowires.

To solve the problem of the low coercivity of Nd-Fe-B-based nanowires impeding their application in magnetic storage media, highly ordered Nd-Fe-B/Fe-Co composite nanowires were fabricated in an anodic alumina template by means of the alternating electrochemical deposition method. In this paper, the effect of soft and hard magnetic phase compositing on the magnetic properties of Nd-Fe-B-based nanowires was investigated, and the coercivity improvement mechanism was demonstrated. The results show that after annealing at 600 °C for 2 h, Nd-Fe-B/Fe-Co nanowires crystallize into a multiphase structure containing a hard Nd2(Fe, Co)14B phase and soft NdB4, NdB6, Fe7Nd, and Fe7Co3 phases. It is characterized that the Nd2(Fe, Co)14B phase preferentially nucleates, followed by NdB4 + NdB6 + Fe7Nd, while Fe7Co3 has been formed in as-deposited nanowires. The existence of a Nd2(Fe, Co)14B phase with high anisotropy fields, the remanence enhancement effect produced by exchange coupling between hard-soft magnetic phases, and the pinning effect between different phases make the composite nanowires approximately exhibit single hard magnetic phase characteristics with coercivity and remanence ratio as high as 4203.25 Oe and 0.89. The results indicate that synthesizing Nd-Fe-B/Fe-Co exchange-coupled composite nanowires via alternating electrodeposition is an effective way to optimize the magnetic performance of Nd-Fe-B-based nanowires.

Identification pyroclastic flow of magnetic minerals (Holocene volcano): A case study of paleo-volcano Lawu on the south side, Central Java, Indonesia

Indonesia is surrounded by three tectonic plates: the Eurasian, Indo−Australian, and Pacific plates. The plates have caused Indonesia to have many volcanoes, both active and inactive, resting, or no longer active. One of the volcanoes belonging to the formed “Rest” category is the ancient Lawu volcano. The mountain is 10,000 radiocarbon years old or approximately 11,430 ​± ​130 calendar years ago, which is part of the Holocene age. The Lawu volcano erupted on November 28, 1885. This paper discusses the study of magnetic minerals in the case of pyroclastic flows originating from Mount Lawu. The values obtained in magnetic susceptibility are 47.53 ​× ​10−6 ​m3/kg to 79.41 ​× ​10−6 ​m3/kg. The results of this susceptibility measurement indicate the presence of igneous rocks resulting from pyroclastic flow. Furthermore, the vibrating sample magnetometer test showed an S−type (ferromagnetic) hysteresis curve, and the value of Mr/Ms (remanence ratio) define was below 0.5, which realized a multi-domain configuration. This ferromagnetic characteristic is attributed to the iron-based mineral (10.4%–17.1%) from the evaluation of X−Ray Fluorescence. The magnetite mineral confirmed in the X-Ray Diffractometer test is the largest source of magnetism in the sample.

Aluminum doping hexagonal barium ferrite films with large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and high remanence ratio

Aluminum doping hexagonal barium ferrite film with large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and high remanence ratio was prepared on Al2O3 substrate by post-annealing at high temperature. The crystal structure measurements have shown that the crystallinity and degree of orientation were improved by post-annealing at high temperature, while it happened the Al ions diffusion from the Al2O3 substrate into the ferrite film at 1100 °C of annealing temperature. The diffusion phenomenon is also confirmed by the distribution of elements in the cross-section which displays a wide and slow-changing region of Al element. The Al element diffusion gives rise to a decrease of saturation magnetization, and an increase of coercivity and remanence ratio. Generally, a hexagonal barium ferrite film with large PMA field (HA = 18.1 kOe), relatively small FMR linewidth (540 Oe) and high remanence ratio (86%) was obtained by annealing the film at 1100 °C, which shows potential applied in self-biased microwave devices.

Effect of annealing temperature on the properties of BaFe12O19 thin films deposited on GGG (1 1 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition

In this work, BaFe12O19 thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy have been deposited on GGG (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition in an oxygen atmosphere using a KrF excimer laser. The effects of annealing temperature on the microstructural, magnetic, and microwave properties of BaFe12O19 thin films were investigated. It is found that the properties of BaFe12O19 films are very sensitive to the annealing temperature, and excellent films are obtained when the annealing temperature is above 900 °C. X-ray diffraction diagrams show that films annealed at higher temperatures (≥950 °C) have better crystallization and higher perpendicular orientation. Atomic force images show the surface morphology of annealed films above 900 °C to be very smooth, with a minimum roughness of 0.754 nm. Hysteresis loops reveal that the saturation magnetization of the films annealed above 1000 °C is similar to that of bulk barium ferrite, and the maximum value of 4676 Gs is obtained at 1100 ℃. The anisotropy field increases with the increase in annealing temperature, reaching a maximum of 18.0 kOe at 1050 °C. The remanence ratio and saturation magnetization also show an upward trend as the annealing temperature rises. The film annealed at 1100 °C shows a very narrow ferromagnetic resonance linewidth with a width of about 256 Oe at 39 GHz. And the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth of the films decreases as the temperature rises, which means that films annealed at higher temperatures have less microwave loss.

Strategy of preparing SmCo based films with high coercivity and remanence ratio achieved by temperature and chemical optimization

SmCo based films with excellent intrinsic magnetic properties have promising applications in micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS). However, due to the complexity of phase composition and uncontrollable crystallization degree of SmCo hard magnetic phase in the film, both the coercivity (Hc) and remanence (Mr) of films are difficult to enhance simultaneously. In this paper, SmCo based films were deposited with a Cr underlayer and capping layer on single crystal Si substrates via magnetron sputtering process. The effects of annealing parameters and Sm/Co atomic ratio on the phase structure and coercivity of films are discussed. By adjusting the Sm/Co atomic ratio from 1:5 to 1:4, Co soft magnetic phase disappears and the single phase SmCo5 is obtained, leading to the increase of coercivity of the films from 30 to 34 kOe. The influence of deposition temperature and Cu doping on magnetic properties of SmCo based films was investigated. When the deposition temperature increases from room temperature to 250 °C, the coercivity will further increase from 34 to 51 kOe. However, a severe kink is observed in the demagnetization curves due to the poor exchanged coupling. An analysis of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms that the average size of non-hard magnetic amorphous phase exceeds the effective exchanged coupling length of SmCo5, which contributes to the decoupling and low remanence ratio. Therefore, doping Cu and applying a post-annealing process can significantly improve the crystallization degree of the films. Both the coercivity and the remanence ratio of the demagnetization curves are greatly enhanced. We propose a plausible strategy to prepare the SmCo based films with high coercivity and remanence ratio by temperature and chemical optimization, which can be utilized in high performed MEMS devices.

Achievement of High Perpendicular Anisotropy and Modification of Heat Treatment Peeling in Micron-Thickness Nd-Fe-B Films Used for Magnetic MEMS.

Thick Nd-Fe-B permanent magnetic films with good perpendicular anisotropy have important applications in magnetic microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs). However, when the thickness of the Nd-Fe-B film reaches the micron level, the magnetic anisotropy and texture of NdFeB film will become worse, and it is also prone to peeling during heat treatment, which seriously limits their applications. In this paper, Si(100)/Ta(100 nm)/NdxFe91-xB9(x = 14.5, 16.4, 18.2)/Ta (100 nm) films with thicknesses of 2-10 μm are prepared by magnetron sputtering. It is found that gradient annealing (GN) could help improve the magnetic anisotropy and texture of the micron-thickness film. When the Nd-Fe-B film thickness increases from 2 μm to 9 μm, its magnetic anisotropy and texture do not deteriorate. For the 9 μm Nd-Fe-B film, a high coercivity of 20.26 kOe and high magnetic anisotropy (remanence ratio Mr/Ms = 0.91) are achieved. An in-depth analysis of the elemental composition of the film along the thickness direction is conducted, and the presence of Nd aggregation layers at the interface between the Nd-Fe-B and the Ta layers is confirmed. The influence of thicknesses of the Ta buffer layer on the peeling of Nd-Fe-B micron-thickness films after high-temperature annealing is investigated, and it is found that increasing the thickness of the Ta buffer layer could effectively inhibit the peeling of Nd-Fe-B films. Our finding provides an effective way to modify the heat treatment peeling of Nd-Fe-B films. Our results are important for the development of Nd-Fe-B micron-scale films with high perpendicular anisotropy for applications in magnetic MEMS.