Amorphous magnetic films produced by pulsed laser deposition

Amorphous magnetic Fe-Co-Ni-Si-B films have been produced on silicon and glass substrates by means of XeCl excimer laser ablation of amorphous magnetic ribbons. Laser fluence, the number of pulses, and target-substrate distance were the variable parameters. The films were studied with x-ray specular reflectivity, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, profilometry, and ellipsometry. Laser ablation has been found to provide a good transfer of composition and structure from the ribbon targets to the deposited films, with excellent mechanical and optical quality of the films. Magnetic properties of the films were examined by a technique based on the magneto-optical Kerr effect. The films revealed well-defined in-plane uniaxial anisotropy. They demonstrated coercivity and anisotropy field values comparable to those of the initial ribbons, and much higher steepness of substantially rectangular hysteresis loops. The films can have a number of prospective applications in magnetic sensors, switches, and concentrators. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.