Influences of rapid annealing and substrate temperature on the magnetic properties of Co-Fe-V films

In this paper we report the results of a systematic investigation of influences of the deposition conditions on the microstructure and magnetic properties of Co-Fe-V thin films. The magnetic softness was optimized when the thin films were deposited at a sputtering pressure of 2mTorr and a sputtering power density of 3.82W∕cm2. A strong modification in the coercivity and its shape with respect to film thickness and substrate temperature was observed. Nanocrystalline Co49.12Fe48.65V2.23 thin films exhibited the superior soft magnetic properties (Bs=25.7kG, Hc=1.2Oe, Hk=24.5Oe) and the high electrical resistivity of 300μΩcm, which are beneficial for high-frequency and temperature applications. It was also found that rapid annealing caused considerable changes in the microstructure and hence the magnetic properties of the Co-Fe-V thin films.