The effects of thickness on magnetic properties of FeCuNbSiB sputtered thin films

Thin films of Fe73.1Cu1Nb3.1Si14.7B8.2 alloy having thickness of 200, 500 and 800 nm have been deposited by RF sputtering. Their magnetic properties have been characterized using alternating gradient field magnetometer (AGFM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The effects of residual stresses investigated by nanoindentation experiments were conducted on as-deposited samples. It is observed that the coercivity of as-deposited films is inversely proportional to the thickness in relation with the residual stress induced during sputtering.