Magnetic properties of Fe-rich Fe-V alloy films

Polycrystalline Fe100-xVx with x=0 to 14 at.% V films on a glass substrate were made by the dc magnetron sputtering method. The deposition temperature was 250 degrees C. The magnetic properties, i.e., saturation magnetization 4 pi M-s, bulk-pinning field for a domain wall H-cw, coercive force H-c, initial permeability mu(i), maximum permeability mu(m), saturation magnetostriction lambda(s), and electrical property, such as the electrical resistivity rho of the Fe-V films, were measured. We find that 4 pi M-s is a decreasing function of x, H-c, and/or H-cw has a minimum at x approximate to x(0)=8 at. % V, mu(i), mu(m), and/or mu(c) has a maximum at x=x(0), lambda(s)approximate to 0 at x=x(0), and rho is an increasing function of x. These new magnetic results are consistent with earlier magnetostriction measurements [Jen and Chen, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 204, 165 (1999)] and theoretical calculations [Ostanin, Staunton, and Razee, Phys. Rev. B 69, 064425 (2004)]. Moreover, all the magnetic features in the x dependence of H-c, H-cw, mu(i), mu(m), mu(c), and lambda(s), respectively, can be explained within the framework of the bulk-pinning (or surface-pinning) and the end-pinning (or nucleation) models. Briefly, the pinning model analysis of the magnetic hysteresis data confirms the inference that near zero lambda(s) implies maximal permeabilities and smallest H-c and H-cw. Among all the Fe-V films, the Fe92V8 film has the optimal magnetic and electrical properties for application.