Fe enriched Sm-Co based high energy product sputtered films with precise crystal textures

Abstract

Sm‐Co based 2‐17 type films with the Fe concentrations increased up to 30 at. % have been sputter synthesized from Fe enriched TDK targets through thermalized sputtering onto substrates heated to 400–500 °C. The crystal structure of these Fe enriched films for total Sm concentrations of about 13 at. % was found to be rhombohedral 2‐17, Th₂Zn₁₇ type. A minor 1‐5 phase was also found to be present. For Fe concentrations of around 20 at. %, at these relatively low deposition temperatures, the films could not be formed in the ordered 2‐17 phase. Instead, these lower Fe concentration films formed in the disordered TbCu₇ type structure. On post‐deposition anneal at temperatures in the 400–500 °C range for 1–2 h, the Fe enriched films showed significant improvements in the demagnetization behavior while no improvements were seen for the TbCu₇ type films. The Fe enriched rhombohedral 2‐17 type films exhibited unusually strong (220) texturing with I(113)/I(220)c axes to in plane textures, and I(300)/I(220)c axes in plane textures.