Zero magnetostriction iron films

Iron films with low coercive force and near-zero magnetostriction have been prepared by ion beam sputtering. With an increase in Ar ion acceleration voltage, the dominant crystalline orientation of the films changed from the [100] to the [110] plane. The saturation magnetostriction constant, lambda /sub s/, changed from positive to negative values, corresponding to the orientation change. The lambda /sub s/ of annealed films, whose lattice constants agreed well with those of the bulk, were close to the calculated values. The coercive force had a minimum of about 2 Oe near zero lambda /sub s/. The results indicate that the soft magnetic properties of iron films can be improved by reducing lambda /sub s/, which in turn is controlled by the acceleration voltage of the ion-beam-sputtering system.>