Improved magnetic anisotropy and magnetostriction by laminating FeAl(N) with permalloy to multilayers

High B-S FeAl(N) single and FeAl(N)/NiFe multilayer films have been prepared by RF-Diode sputtering in a Ar/N-2 mixture on substrates up to 6 " diameter using a commercial sputter machine. Preparing the films under an aligning magnetic field led to an uniaxial anisotropy with angular dispersions less than 1 degrees. A magnetostriction of lambda less than or equal to 1*10(-6) and H-C,H- H-K approximate to 2.5 Oe was achieved for single films. The FeAl(N)/NiFe multilayers display an improved anisotropic behaviour and smaller H-C and lambda(S) although B-S is only somewhat below the alpha-Fe value. Depending on layer periodicity, H-K varies between 2.3 and 6 Oe for 0.5 mu m thick films.