Coercivity in SmCo hard magnetic films for MEMS applications

In this work we have investigated the thermal dependence of coercivity in 1.5 mu m thick SmCo5 films fabricated by sputtering technique. Samples were deposited onto Si substrates kept at different temperatures. Samples grown below 450 degrees C are amorphous, present low coercivity and require further crystallization processes in order to obtain the 1:5 SmCo hard phase. Samples grown at 450 degrees C are nanocrystalline in the as-deposited state and exhibit high room temperature in-plane coercivity. Correlation between the thermal dependence of coercivity and the nanostructure has been analyzed in the frame of the so-called micromagnetic model. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.