The novel VCP system is a mobile physical deposition method to deposit
metallic/magnetic films using various source materials including powder,
lump, pre-alloyed ingots and wires. The VCP system consists of a large
deposition area of 960 cm2 and has been used for the first time to
prepare magnetic thin films of Si3Fe97. The source material
evaporated by a resistively heated furnace, which was position right under
the substrate within the VCP system, contains small pieces of conventional
3% silicon-iron steel as source materials. The magnetic analysis of the
films was achieved by using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).
Observations indicate that the magnetic anisotropy and coercivity are
dependent on the type of substrate and the deposition conditions. Results of
all films deposited on flexible kaptonTM are anisotropic in the film
plane whereas the films deposited on glass substrate indicate the less-well
defined anisotropy in the film plane while the substrate holder of the VCP
system was run at the speed of 100 rpm. In the case of stationary magnetic
materials production, the films deposited on kapton and glass substrates
show isotropic magnetic behaviour. All films showed planar magnetic
anisotropy irrespective of type of substrate and the production conditions
used. The findings are discussed in terms of scaling up the technique for
the possible production of various shapes of circular, square or strip
components with the compositions equivalent to that of conventional
electrical steels in order to investigate a possible future to produce large
scale of silicon-iron as the core materials for rotating machines and power
transformers.