The process-controlled magnetic properties in nanostructured Fe/Ag composite films

Authors

Y.Z. Zhang, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Sy_Hwang Liou, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
R.J. DeAngelis, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
K.W. Lee, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
C.P. Reed, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
A. Nazareth, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Date of this Version

April 1991

Comments

Published by American Institute of Physics. J. Appl. Phys., 69, 5273(1991). © 1991 American Institute of Physics. Permission to use. http://jap.aip.org/jap/.

Abstract

Nanostructured Fe/Ag composite films were prepared by magnetron sputtering using a single target. Correlations between the microstructure and magnetic properties, in particular the effects of cluster-size distribution in the films, are discussed. The cluster-size distribution was calculated by analyzing the width and shape of the x-ray-diffraction peaks. The average cluster size in the films increased from 42 to 295 Å and from 38 to 320 Å in the systems of 41 and 27 vol % of Fe, respectively, as the substrate temperature increased from 100 to 500 °C. The maximum magnetic coercivity, as high as 900 Oe, has been observed in the film with 27 vol % of Fe, which was prepared at a substrate temperature of 400 °C.