EFFECT OF SUBSTRATE-FILM INTERFACE ON MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF MN4N FILMS

Ferrimagnetic Mn4N thin films were deposited on blank Si(100), SiNx-co ated Si(100) and polyimide-coated Si(100) substrates by dc reactive ma gnetron sputtering. Ordered Mn4N structure with (002) texture was iden tified in these films at substrate temperatures from 150 to 250 degree s C without further annealing. The films on blank Si(100) and SiNx-coa ted Si(100) exhibit much higher coercivity than those on polyimide-coa ted Si(100). However all films show a perpendicular coercivity of arou nd two times higher than parallel coercivity. The saturation flux dens ity is 240 to 610 G, increasing with elevated substrate temperature. T he interface between substrate and film is found to dominate residual stress in films and to affect the absolute value of coercivity. The ab normal perpendicular magneto-anisotropy of these films is attributed t o the columnar grains with ordered (002) structure and stress effect.