Magnetic properties of Co-Fe-Ni films

A series of Co-rich CoxFeyNiz alloys in both the bulk and the thin-film for ms were made. From the X-ray diffraction study, it is found that: (1) when changing from the bulk to the thin-film case. the alpha-gamma phase boundar y in the Co-Fe-Ni phase diagram is shifted; (2) the grains in bulk samples are randomly oriented; (3) the grains in the BCC (alpha phase) films are (1 10) textured, (4) the grains in the FCC (gamma phase) films are (1 1 1) te xtured. Then, we find that these structure differences are the main factors to cause different magnetic properties of the two Co-Fe-Ni samples with th e same alloy composition, but in different forms, such as the bulk and the thin-film forms. respectively. In this article, magnetic properties discuss ed include the saturation magnetostriction lambda (s), the saturation magne tization M-s the coercive force H-c and the anisotropy field H-k. Besides t he structural effect, M-s of the (single-phase) Co-Fe-Ni films is related t o the number of valence electrons per atom e/a. In addition, some non-magne tic properties, such as the electrical resistivity rho and the intrinsic st ress S. of those thin-film samples are also studied. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.