Rotation speed induced properties of quaternary FeNiCrCd thin films easy-prepared from a single magnetron sputtering

Abstract

A series of quaternary FeNiCrCd thin films were sputtered on commercial flexible acetate substrates from Fe51.07Ni13.42Cr12 Cd-.67(22).74 (at.%) source under the rotation speed (0, 15, 30 and 45 rpm) of the substrates. The films were 50 nm thick and sputtered at 0.9 nm/s. As far as concerned, this work has been the first production from a single source and characterisations of the FeNiCrCd thin films by now. The atomic Fe, Ni and Cr contents in the films decreased while atomic Cd content increased with the increase of rotation speed. The crystal structure of all films was observed to have a body-centred cubic phase and the intensity of (110) and (200) peaks decreased with the decrease of Fe, Ni and Cr contents as the rotation speed increased. According to structural analysis, increasing rotation speed of the substrate caused an increase in grain size. The magnetic measurements of the films achieved, by a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature, displayed that the saturation magnetization, M-S values decreased from 780 to 322 emu/cm(3) and the coercivity, H-C values slightly increased from 6 to 10 Oe with increasing substrate rotation. It was observed that decrease of Fe and Ni contents, and grain size in the films influences the decrease of the M-S values and the increase of the H-C values, respectively, caused by the increase of rotation speed. The films displayed soft magnetic properties due to low H-C values. It is also seen that the magnetic easy axis were in the film plane. It can be concluded that the rotation speed of the substrate play a considerable role on the structural and corresponding magnetic properties of the sputtered quaternary FeNiCrCd thin films, and also easily controllable properties of the films can be changed by changing rotation speed for potential electric and electronic applications.