Ja. Bain et Mh. Kryder, THE EFFECT OF SUBSTRATE-TEMPERATURE ON THE MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF FEALN THIN-FILMS FOR RECORDING-HEADS, IEEE transactions on magnetics, 31(6), 1995, pp. 2703-2705
The soft magnetic properties of FeAlN films have been shown to be stro
ngly dependent on the temperature of the substrate during deposition.
Films of FeAlN were sputtered deposited onto Alumina/Titanium Carbide
(ALTIC) ceramic substrates at substrate temperatures between 20 and 20
0 degrees C. In the range of 150 to 200 degrees C, the films display a
well oriented easy axis with coercivities less than 1.5 Oe, and a har
d axis coercivity of less than 1 Oe. Deposition at temperatures below
150 degrees C resulted in high coercivities and no in-plane anisotropy
. This behavior is explained in terms of the temperature dependence of
the formation of the gamma'-Fe4N phase (identified by x-ray diffracti
on), which is necessary for the soft magnetic properties. A discussion
of heating transients due to substrate thermal mass is also included.