Electron-microscopic study of the structure of films of soft magnetic alloy Fe-8 at. % Zr-N

Electron microscopy was used to study structural and phase transformations that occur upon annealing in a soft magnetic alloy Fe-8 at. % Zr-N prepared as a film by magnetron sputtering. In the initial state, the structure con sists of two amorphous phases of different compositions, one of which is ba sed on Fe. The alloy annealed at 400 degreesC for 1 h contains, in addition to these phases. alpha -Fe based bce nanocrystals mainly 6-8 nm in size. A fter annealing at 550 degreesC for 1 h, the structure of the alloy consists of the alpha -Fe grains of less than 15 nm in size, very fine (<3 nm) fee precipitates, and a certain amount of a Fe-based amorphous phase.