Artificially controlled stress anisotropy and magnetic properties of FeTaN thin films

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Abstract
This article presents a new method of investigating internal stress effects on thin film magnetic properties, in this case magnetically soft FeTaN sputtered films. The FeTaN films were deposited on a series of oxidized silicon (111) substrates prestressed to different degrees. During sputtering all the deposition conditions were kept exactly the same for all the samples. However, anisotropic stresses with different amplitudes are systematically introduced into the films when the prestressed wafers were released. In this way, FeTaN films with compressive stress varying from 80 to 608 MPa are produced. We found that the saturation magnetostriction (λ s ), anisotropy field (H k ), initial permeability (μ i ) as well as easy axis orientation of FeTaN thin films are strongly affected by the induced stress anisotropy. A stress ratio concept is proposed as a measure of the degree of the stress anisotropy. Models for easy-hard axis switching induced by stress for magnetic films with positive magnetostriction are discussed.

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