Studies on NdFeB thin films over a wide composition range

The magnetic properties of NdFeB thin films have been studied over a wide r ange of composition. A detailed study on the effect of composition and othe r process parameters on the magnetic and structural properties of NdFeB thi n films is also presented. An investigation into the effect of the substrat e revealed that substrates containing oxygen may not be suitable for prepar ing these thin films. The coercive force as well as the microstructure of t hese films were found to depend on the thickness. The composition dependenc e of coercive force, saturation magnetization and the energy product (B(r)x H(c)) are shown by three dimensional bar diagrams. High coercive force and high energy product were observed at Nd concentrations slightly higher than that of the stoichiometric composition. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.