Magnetic properties and structure of a new multilayer [FeTaN/TaN](n) for recording heads

In this article, the structure and soft magnetic properties of [FeTaN/TaN](n) multilayers have been studied. Best multilayer films have coercivity of 1.2 Oe, which is further decreased to 0.5 Oe by annealing up to 400 degrees C, The saturation magnetization is 19.5 kG. The initial permeability of multilayer films is 1200 and is constant up to 100 MHz. A predominant alpha-Fe(110) texture is observed by x-ray diffraction patterns and Mossbauer spectra (MS), but a small amount of ferromagnetic epsilon-FexN (x greater than or equal to 3) and paramagnetic epsilon-FexN (2<x<3) phases are identified by MS, which may account for the relatively large magnetostriction (similar to 5X10(-6)). The temperature dependence of MS and x-ray show good thermal stability up to 430 degrees C. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.