In-Plane Magnetic Anisotropy In RF Sputtered Fe-N Thin Films

TL;DR

This study investigates how varying nitrogen partial pressure during fabrication affects the microstructure, magnetic anisotropy, and properties of Fe-N thin films, revealing nitrogen's role in grain refinement and anisotropy induction.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between nitrogen content and in-plane magnetic anisotropy in Fe-N thin films.

Findings

In-plane magnetic anisotropy varies with nitrogen content.

Nitrogen refines grain structure and induces uniaxial anisotropy.

Films show a basic bcc a-Fe structure at low nitrogen levels.

Abstract

We have fabricated Fe(N) thin films with varied N2 partial pressure and studied the microstructure, morphology, magnetic properties and resistivity by using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating-sample magnetometer and angle-resolved M-H hysteresis Loop tracer and standard four-point probe method. In the presence of low N2 partial pressure, Fe(N) films showed a basic bcc a-Fe structure with a preferred (110) texture. A variation of in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the Fe(N) films was observed with the changing of N component. The evolution of in-plane anisotropy in the films was attributed to the directional order mechanism. Nitrogen atoms play an important role in refining the a-Fe grains and inducing uniaxial anisotropy.