Effect of magnetic field annealing on microstructure and magnetic properties of FePt films

FePt (20 nm) films were annealed in a magnetic field (along the normal direction of the films) at a temperature around the Curie temperature of L1₀ FePt. The influence of magnetic filed annealing on texture and magnetic properties of FePt films were investigated. The results indicate that preferential (0 0 1) orientation and perpendicular anisotropy can be obtained in L1₀ FePt films by using magnetic field annealing around the Curie temperature of L1₀ FePt. This is one of the potential methods to obtain (0 0 1) orientation and thus to improve the perpendicular anisotropy in FePt films.     

Effect of annealing on the magnetic properties of Cu-capped ultrathin Co films

We report the effect of intermixing of Cu on the magnetic properties of ultrathin Co films deposited on Si(1 0 0). Rutherford backscattering was employed to determine the extent of intermixing, which increased from 7% in an as-grown sample to nearly 23% when annealed at 400 °C. The as-grown sample showed a higher value of magnetization of 530 emu/cm³, which dropped to 20 emu/cm³ on annealing at 400 °C. The low temperature magnetization behavior of the as-grown Co films showed the presence of both positive and negative exchange bias due to the formation of antiferromagentic domains in parallel with ferromagnetic domains. This behavior is explained using the Malozemoff Random Field Model, which predicted values of exchange bias closely matching the present experimental findings.     

Effect of thermal annealing on the magnetic properties of thin films of Co-Pd alloys

The results of studies of the effect of thermal annealing on the magnetic properties of thin films of Co-Pd alloys are described, along with a method for obtaining easy-axis perpendicular anisotropy in these materials. The method consists of depositing layers of the alloy on a substrate whose thermal expansion coefficient is considerably smaller than that of the film, and then annealing it in a vacuum. This method is used to prepare samples with rectangular hysteresis loops for magnetization perpendicular to the plane of the film, coercive forces of 750 Oe, and Kerr rotation angles of 0.21°. Also presented are the results of experiments on thermomagnetic recording on the samples. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 66–70 (April 1998)     

Effect of annealing on structure and magnetic properties of Fe-N and Fe-Ti-N thin films

The structure and magnetic properties of Fe-N and Fe-Ti-N films have been studied as a function of annealing temperature T_a with a transmission electron microscope and a vibrating sample magnetometer. The as-prepared Fe-N films consist of the γ^′-Fe₄N and α^′′-Fe₁₆N₂ phases, and the Fe-Ti-N films are composed of the γ^′-Fe₄N, α^′′-Fe₁₆N₂, and TiN phases. The structural changes with annealing temperature in the Fe-N films are distinct. The α^′′-Fe₁₆N₂ decomposes into α+γ^′ phases in the Fe-N film annealed at about 300 °C, and it disappears in the film annealed at 350 °C. Annealing of the Fe-Ti-N films shows no structural changes between room temperature (RT) and 500 °C. The saturation magnetization 4πM_S and coercivity H_c of the Fe-N films change drastically with the annealing temperature T_a, whereas those of the Fe-Ti-N films do not change with T_a up to 500 °C. These results indicate that the additon of Ti may improve the thermal stability of Fe-N films. Recieved: 6 Juli 1998 / Accepted: 19 Oktober 1998 / Published online: 10 March 1999     

Optical and magnetooptical properties of Co-doped YIG films

Conclusions Analysis of cobalt contributions to the Faraday rotation spectra in the series of (YCa)₃(FeCoGe)₅O₁₂ garnet films enabled us to distinguish between single contributions of Co²⁺ and Co³ ions in tetrahedral sites. It appeared that even the high counterdopes of calcium do not suppress the occurrence of tetrahedral Co²⁺ ions, although their concentration is greatly reduced in comparison with the original samples not containing any Ca. Noteworthy is also a rather high content of tetrahedral Co³⁺ in the samples not containing calcium even in cases when Ge content exceeds that of Co ions.     

退火氛围对掺杂ZnO薄膜磁性的影响

采用直流磁控反应共溅法制备了非磁性元素Al和磁性元素Co掺杂的ZnO薄膜, 样品原位真空退火后再空气退火处理. 利用X射线衍射仪(XRD) 和物理性能测量仪(PPMS) 对薄膜的结构和磁性进行了表征. XRD和PPMS结果表明, 不同的退火氛围对掺杂薄膜的结构和磁性有着很大的影响. 真空退火的Al掺杂ZnO薄膜没有观察到铁磁性, 而空气退火的样品却显示出明显的室温铁磁性, 铁磁性的来源与空气退火后导致Al和ZnO基体间电荷转移增强有关. 而对于Co掺杂ZnO薄膜, 真空退火后再空气退火, 室温铁磁性明显减弱. 其磁性变化与Co离子和ZnO基体间电荷转移导致磁性增强和间隙Co原子被氧化导致磁性减弱有关.     

Effect of annealing conditions on structural and magnetic properties of laser ablated copper ferrite thin films

The effect of annealing conditions on structural and magnetic properties of copper ferrite thin films on (100) Si substrates was examined in detail. After deposition, the ferrite thin films were post-annealed in vacuum and in oxygen atmosphere for several hours. It is found that the crystal structure of CuFe₂O₄ thin films changed drastically depending on different heating process. A maximum magnetization was achieved in the film that was vacuum annealed and it decreased remarkably after oxygen annealing.     

Effect of annealing on the structural and microwave magnetic properties of singlelayer and multilayer films of various compositions

The effect of annealing on the structure and microwave magnetic properties of composite single-layer and multilayer films is investigated. It is found that as the threshold annealing temperature is attained, the width of the FMR line increases abruptly, depending on the concentration ratio of metallic alloy and dielectric. It is shown that the FMR line broadening is also associated with the occurrence of and increase in high-frequency modes of absorption. The surfaces of annealed and unannealed films are investigated at various concentrations of metallic alloys and dielectrics using an atomic force microscope. The strong change in the magnetic characteristics after film annealing is associated with a change in surface roughness and inhomogeneity, and in the size distribution of nano- and submicron formations and their spacing.     

Oxygen effects on magnetic properties during annealing of sputtered Co-Gd-Mo films

Two sets of amorphous Co-Gd-Mo films with compensation temperatures below and above room temperature were annealed in various atmospheres. The changes in the net magnetization, the perpendicular anisotropy field and the uniaxial anisotropy constant were measured at room temperature after the annealing procedure. All the observed effects could be consistently explained by prefered oxidation of the Gd-“sublattice” atoms. Proper annealing allows one to obtain films with magnetic constants desired for device applications.     

Magnetic and magnetooptical properties of nanothick polycrystalline Co-P films

Features of the formation of chemically deposited polycrystalline Co-P films with nanometer thicknesses are established by magnetic measurements and analysis of film surface morphology. It is found that the specific value of the magnetooptical Faraday effect in Co-P films exceeds that in Co films by a factor of more than two. This is attributed to the magnetic polarization of a Pd underlayer. It is shown the Kerr effect in Co films is negligibly influenced by the embedding of phosphorus.     

High temperature annealing effect on structural and magnetic properties of Ti/Ni multilayers

High temperature annealing effect on structural and magnetic properties of Ti/Ni multilayer (ML) up to 600 °C have been studied and reported in this paper. Ti/Ni multilayer samples having constant layer thicknesses of 50 Å each are deposited on float glass and Si(1 1 1) substrates using electron-beam evaporation technique under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions at room temperatures. The micro-structural parameters and their evolution with temperature for as-deposited as well as annealed multilayer samples up to 600 °C in a step of 100 °C for 1 h are determined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity techniques. The X-ray diffraction pattern recorded at 300 °C annealed multilayer sample shows interesting structural transformation (from crystalline to amorphous) because of the solid-state reaction (SSR) and subsequent re-crystallization at higher temperatures of annealing, particularly at ≥400 °C due to the formation of TiNi₃ and Ti₂Ni alloy phases. Sample quality and surface morphology are examined by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique for both as-deposited as well as annealed multilayer samples. In addition to this, a temperature dependent dc resistivity measurement is also used to study the structural transformation and subsequent alloy phase formation due to annealing treatment. The corresponding magnetization behavior of multilayer samples after each stage of annealing has been investigated by using Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) technique and results are interpreted in terms of observed micro-structural changes.     

Effect of annealing on the magnetic and superconducting properties of single-crystalline UCoGe

Single-crystals of the new ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe have been grown. The quality of as-grown samples can be significantly improved by a heat-treatment procedure, which increases the residual resistance ratio (RRR) from ∼5 to ∼30. Magnetization M(T) and resistivity ρ(T) measurements show the annealed samples have a sharp ferromagnetic transition with a Curie temperature T_C is 2.8 K. The ordered moment of 0.06 μ_B is directed along the orthorhombic c-axis. Superconductivity is found below a resistive transition temperature T_s=0.65 K.     

Investigation of magnetic properties for oblique deposited granular films by magnetic field annealing

A series of (Fe₅₇Co₂₄Ni₄Nb₂B₁₃)_x-(SiO₂)_1−x nano-granular thin films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering with different oblique incidence angle θ and excellent soft magnetic properties are achieved. Based on the results of magnetic field anneal at different temperature T_a, it is evidenced that orientation of atomic pairs contributes to the annealing treatment, and could manipulate magnetic anisotropy. The damping coefficient α decreases with increasing angle θ and this is ascribed to the anisotropy dissipation.     

Magnetic and magnetooptical properties of Gd-Co-Si films of various thickness

The magnetic, optical, and magnetooptical properties of amorphous Gd-Co-Si films of various thickness are investigated. It is shown that the perpendicular component of anisotropy in the films is preserved to very small thicknesses, down to 0.005 m. The character of the thickness dependence of the anisotropy constant is analyzed and compared with the behavior expected according to a simple theoretical model which assumes that the perpendicular anisotropy originates from the microstructure. It is concluded that the probable source of the perpendicular anisotropy in these materials is the anisotropic distribution of atom pairs.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 70–75, January, 1986.     

Beneficial effect of rapid recurrent thermal annealing on magnetic properties of SmCo-based films

The effects of conventional thermal annealing (CTA) and rapid recurrent thermal annealing (RRTA) on the magnetic properties of the SmCo-based films were investigated. The results show that the CTA-treated films exhibit amorphous structure with coercivity insensitively depending on annealing parameters as anticipated. As for the RRTA-treated films, single TbCu₇-type phase structure with well crystallization is observed. The coercivity of the RRTA-treated films is strongly correlated with annealing parameters, and its optimum value is larger than that of the CTA-treated films. It is suggested that the RRTA treatment has beneficial effects on the magnetic properties of the SmCo-based films.     

Effect of thermal annealing on spectral properties of electrodeposited carbon films

The effect of thermal annealing on properties of carbon films deposited on nickel electrodes by the electrodeposition method was studied. It has been shown that annealing at a temperature of 300°C results in the formation of nanosize diamond clusters. With an increase in the annealing temperature, the size of diamond clusters diminishes. At an annealing temperature of 900°C, all of the carbon enters into reaction with nickel, thus forming nickel carbide.     

Effect of annealing on properties of electrochemically deposited CdTe thin films

Thin films of CdTe have been deposited onto stainless steel and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrates from aqueous acidic bath using electrodeposition technique. The different preparative parameters, such as deposition time, bath temperature and pH of the bath have been optimized by photoelectrochemical (PEC) technique to get good quality photosensitive material. The deposited films are annealed at different temperature in presence of air. Annealing temperature is also optimized by PEC technique. The film annealed at 200 °C showed maximum photosensitivity. Different techniques have been used to characterize as deposited and also as annealed (at 200 °C) CdTe thin film. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the polycrystalline nature, and a significant increase in the XRD peak intensities is observed for the CdTe films after annealing. Optical absorption shows the presence of direct transition with band gap energy 1.64 eV and after annealing it decreases to 1.50 eV. Energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX) study for the as-deposited and annealed films showed nearly stoichiometric compound formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that spherically shaped grains are more uniformly distributed over the surface of the substrate for the CdTe film.     

Effect of annealing on the optical and electrical properties of ZnO:Er films

The effect of dopant concentration and annealing in the oxidizing atmosphere on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of ZnO:Er films deposited on sapphire substrates by the electron-beam evaporation method is investigated. The optical and electrical properties of these films were studied by UV-VIS-IR absorption and reflection spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and resistivity measurements. Experimental results reveal that as-deposited ZnO:Er films have both high transmittance in the visible range and low electrical resistivity and can be used as efficient transparent conducting oxides (TCOs). These films annealed in the oxidizing atmosphere have a visible emission band which can be used to fabricate light-emitting diodes.     

Effect of annealing on the electric and magnetic properties of GaMnAs and Be-codoped GaMnAs

GaMnAs and Be-codoped GaMnAs films grown via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) were heat treated and the stability of Mn in the matrix was investigated. MnAs had a stable phase at the low growth temperature, but MnGa was stable at the annealing temperature. Be-codoping did not prevent the precipitation processes, but Be itself was stable during the annealing process to maintain the GaAs matrix at the high conductivity.     

Effect of annealing time on the structural and ferromagnetic properties of the GaMnN thin films

GaMnN thin films were deposited on a sapphire (0001) substrate by using laser assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Subsequently, the samples were annealed in the ammonia ambience at 1000 °C for different time lengths. The crystalline quality was improved gradually, and the room temperature ferromagnetism of our samples becomes stronger with the increase of the annealing time within 25 min. The X-ray photoelectron spectra analysis confirmed that the Mn³⁺ concentration in the GaMnN films increased after annealing. The stronger ferromagnetism was observed in the sample with the higher Mn³⁺ concentration. However, too long annealing time, such as 35 min, will lead to the degradation of the crystalline quality and the decrease of Mn³⁺ concentration, which results in the weakened ferromagnetism. The optimal annealing time is 25 min at 1000 °C in our experiments. Finally, the origin of the room temperature ferromagnetism in our samples was discussed preliminarily.