FILM SYNTHESIS AND MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF THMN12-TYPE SM(FE1-XTX)12, X LESS-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO 0.12

Films of binary SmFe12 and Sm(Fe1-xTx)12 compounds, where x less-than-or-equal-to 0.12, and T = V, V-Ti, and Ti, exhibiting the ThMn12-type tetragonal crystal structure have been successfully synthesized. These films were cystallized by rf sputter deposition onto A1(2)O3 substrates preheated to 400-550-degrees-C. The lattice parameters of the SmFe12 tetragonal structure, x = 0, were determined to be a = 8.438 +/- 0.005 angstrom and c = 4.805 +/- 0.005 angstrom. The binary SmFe12 and Sm(Fe,T)12 alloys were found to be magnetically uniaxial as confirmed by magnetization measurements, x-ray diffraction, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Coercivities up to 6 kOe were obtained for these films. For the binary system, room-temperature 4-pi-M values of 14.3 +/- 0.2 kG were obtained for magnetization measurements made perpendicular to film plane at applied fields of 90 kOe. For the first time, remnant fluxdensity values close to the saturation values were obtained for x less-than-or-equal-to 0.08 for films synthesized with an extreme (002) texture. For certain dense films a static energy product of 21 MGOe was measured with the magnetization directed perpendicular to the film plane. The anisotropy field at 293 K of a Sm(Fe0.96Ti0.04)12 sample was estimated from high-field measurements to be 130 +/- 10 kOe.