FE ENRICHED SM-CO BASED HIGH-ENERGY PRODUCT SPUTTERED FILMS WITH PRECISE CRYSTAL TEXTURES

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-degrees-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-degrees-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) < 1/40, for out of plane c axes to in plane textures, and I(300)/I(220) < 1/50, for relative c axes in plane textures.