Microstructure and properties of laser interference crystallized amorphous FeSiB ribbon

Abstract The influence of Q-switched pulsed Nd:YAG laser interference heating, using 120 mJ of pulse energy and a variable number of consecutive pulses, on the microstructure and magnetic properties of amorphous Fe80Si11B9 alloy was examined. Microstructural analysis, using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, was complemented by results of Mossbauer spectroscopy and measurement of magnetic properties (vibrating sample magnetometer). Periodically distributed crystallized micro-areas, ∼10 μm in diameter, in an amorphous matrix were produced by the treatments. Magnetization measurements showed that the as-cast ribbon and laser light irradiated samples are magnetically soft materials. The results lead to the conclusion that the dots corresponding to the laser modified regions exhibit a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.