Composition-Controlled Low Field Magnetostriction of TbFe Amorphous Films

Amorphous TbFe films are fabricated by dc magnetron sputtering, and their magnetostrictions at low field are examined over a wide range of terbium content (from 32at.% to 70at.%). It is found that the terbium content plays an important role in the magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of TbFe films. TbFe film soft magnetic properties and low field magnetostriction canbe efficiently improved by controlling the terbium at an optimum content. The magnetostriction at lower magnetic field is increased with the increase of terbium content up to 48.2at.%. After reaching the maximum value, further increase of terbium content would result in a great decrease of the low field magnetostriction. By contrast, at higher magnetic field, the magnetostriction is decreased monotonically with the increase of the terbium content.