Effect of Ar pressure on the magnetic properties of Fe-Si3Nx thin films prepared by co-sputtering

The magnetic properties of Fe-Si3Nx thin films fabricated by a co-sputterin g technique were studied by electrical resistivity, magnetometry, and Mossb auer spectroscopy as a function of the Ar pressure. As the Ar pressure incr eased, the electrical resistivity increased while the saturation magnetizat ion decreased. The temperature and the held dependences of the magnetizatio n of the co-sputtered thin films can be explained by a mixture of ferromagn etic and paramagnetic components. Also, the Mossbauer spectra showed good a greement with the magnetization results; the ferromagnetic contribution to the magnetization decreased with increasing Ar pressure.