Magnetic Properties and Thermal Stability of Co-(Nb,Ta)-Zr

The structural changes and heat stability of the soft magnetic characteristics of Co-(Nb,Ta)-Zr films are discussed. Following annealing, both samples exhibited extremely high levels of thermal stability, with the characteristics of CoNbZrTa films slightly better than those of CoNbZr films. The results of electron beam diffraction showed that the films have a very regular structure which is virtually unaffected by heat treatment. Experimental results also suggested that changes in the soft magnetic characteristics of such films are due to structural changes, and the high thermal stability is due to the lower speed of these changes.