Magnetic properties of Fe/Fe-N and Fe/Cu-N multilayered films having intermediate layers containing nitrogen

The structures and magnetic properties of Fe/Fe-N and Fe/Cu-N multilayered films having intermediate layers containing nitrogen were investigated. Fe/Fe-N films formed by alternate Fe sputtering and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) nitrogen plasma exposure had Fe layers containing approximately 3 at% nitrogen, the /spl alpha/-Fe(110) lattice spacing being larger than that of pure iron. This expansion of the /spl alpha/-Fe(110) lattice spacing was observed after Fe deposition. The Fe layers containing a little nitrogen improved the soft magnetic properties. Fe/Cu-N multilayered films formed by the alternation of Fe sputtering and Cu-N nitrogen reactive sputtering also showed expansion of the /spl alpha/-Fe(110) lattice spacing and reduction of the Fe crystallite size with increasing partial N/sub 2/ gas pressure (PN/sub 2/) during Cu-N reactive sputtering. The Fe/Cu-N multilayered films achieved minimum coercivity at PN/sub 2/=7%.<
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