Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-13T21:46:56.134Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of Fe–N thin films deposited by dc magnetron sputtering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2012

Wei Tao Zheng*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
Xin Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, Chinaand Key Laboratory of Physics on Excited States Process, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun 130023, China
Xianggui Kong
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Physics on Excited States Process, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun 130023, China
Hongwei Tian
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
Shansheng Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
Zhudi Zhao
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
Xiaotian Li
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
*
a)Electronic mail: wtzheng@jlu.edu.cn

Abstract

Fe–N thin films were deposited on glass substrates by dc magnetron sputtering under various Ar∕N2 discharge conditions. Crystal structures and elemental compositions of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Magnetic properties of the films were measured using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. Films deposited at different N2∕(Ar+N2) flow ratios were found to have different crystal structures and different nitrogen contents. When the flow ratios were 60%, 50%, and 30%, a nonmagnetic single-phase FeN was formed in the films. At the flow ratio of 10%, two crystal phases of γ′-Fe4N and ε-Fe3N were detected. When the flow ratio reduced to 5%, a mixture of α-Fe, ε-Fe3N, FeN0.056, and α″-Fe16N2 phases was obtained. The value of saturation magnetization for the mixture was found to be larger than that of pure Fe.

Type
Selected Papers from 2003 Chinese National Symposium on XRD
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Borsa, D. M., Grachev, S., Kerssemakers, J. W. J., and Boerma, D. O. (2002). “Development of an all-nitride magnetic tunnel junction,” J. Magn. Magn. Mater. JMMMDC 240, 445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cocke, D. L., Rajman, M. J., and Veprek, S. (1989). “The surface properties and reactivities of plasma-nitrided iron and their relation to corrosion passivation,” J. Electrochem. Soc. JESOAN 136, 3655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chumakov, A. I., Smimov, G. V., Baron, A. Q. R., Arthur, J., Brown, D. E., Ruby, S. L., Brown, G. S., and Salashehenko, N. N. (1993). “Resonant diffraction of synchrotron radiation by a nuclear multiplayer,” Phys. Rev. Lett. PRLTAO 10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.2489 71, 2489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coey, J. M. D. (1994). “The magnetization of bulk α′Fe16N2 (invited),” J. Appl. Phys. JAPIAU 10.1063/1.358156 76, 6632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupta, M., Gupta, A., and Bhattacharya, P. (2001a). “Study of iron nitride thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition,” J. Alloys Compd. JALCEU 10.1016/S0925-8388(01)01316-0 326, 265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupta, M., Gupta, A., and Chaudhari, S. M. (2001b). “Microstructural study of iron nitride thin films deposited by ion beam sputtering,” Vacuum VACUAV 10.1016/S0042-207X(00)00148-2 60, 395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobs, H., Rechenbach, D., and Zachwieja, U. (1995). “Structure determination of γ′-Fe4N and ε-Fe3N,” J. Alloys Compd. JALCEU 227, 10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, T. K. and Takahashi, M. (1972). “New magnetic material having ultrahigh magnetic moment,” Appl. Phys. Lett. APPLAB 10.1063/1.1654030 20, 492.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohm, P. and Matar, S. F. (1999). “The γ-Fe4N system revisited: An ab initio calculation study of the magnetic interactions,” J. Magn. Magn. Mater. JMMMDC 10.1016/S0304-8853(98)00312-6 191, 234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ortiz, C., Dumpich, G., and Morrish, A. H. (1994). “Epitaxial Fe16N2 films grown by sputtering,” Appl. Phys. Lett. APPLAB 10.1063/1.112552 65, 2737.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rohlsberger, R., Witthoff, E., Gerdau, E., and Loken, E. (1993). “Observation of nuclear diffraction from multilayers with a Fe∕57Fe superstructure,” J. Appl. Phys. JAPIAU 10.1063/1.354776 74, 1933.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rissanen, L., Neubauer, M., and Lieb, K. P. (1998). “The new cubic iron-nitride phase FeN prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering,” J. Alloys Compd. JALCEU 10.1016/S0925-8388(98)00594-5 274, 74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rissanen, L., Schaaf, P., and Neubauer, M. (1999). “The production of the new cubic FeN phase by reactive magnetron sputtering,” Appl. Surf. Sci. ASUSEE 138/139, 261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sugita, Y., Takahashi, H., and Komuro, M. (1994). “Magnetic and Mossbauer studies of single-crystal Fe16N2 and Fe-N martensite films epitaxially grown by molecular beam epitaxy,” J. Appl. Phys. JAPIAU 10.1063/1.358157 76, 6637.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Takahashi, M. and Shoji, H. J. (2000). “α″-Fe16N2 problem - giant magnetic moment or not,” J. Magn. Magn. Mater. JMMMDC 208, 145157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar