MAGNETOELASTIC EFFECT IN THIN-FILMS EVAPORATED FROM FE-(CU-NB)-SI-B ALLOY

Thin Fe-(Cu-Nb)-Si-B films are produced by a flash evaporation method from pulverized Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 alloy and deposited onto cooled g lass substrates. The dependences of the coercive field, H-c, and aniso tropy field, H-K, of the films upon the applied mechanical in-plane un iaxial stress are measured and the magnetoelastic coefficients for H-c and H-K are determined. Comparing their values with those parameters of thin Ni films assumed as standards, it is possible to determine the isotropic saturation magnetostriction constant, lambda(s) of the film s studied. For as-deposited films lambda(s) = 27 x 10(-6) is found whi ch is a rather reasonable value. This value is, however, considerably reduced after annealing the film at 723 K.