Magnetic Properties of Anisotropic Pr–Fe–B/Fe/Pr–Fe–B Films

Pr–Fe–B/Fe/Pr–Fe–B films with different Fe layer thicknesses were deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si (100) substrate heated at 650 °C. Structural and magnetic properties of the Pr–Fe–B/Fe/Pr–Fe–B films were investigated. X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurement results reveal that the Pr–Fe–B/Fe/Pr–Fe–B films are anisotropic when the thickness of Fe layer is smaller than 50 nm. The enhancement of the saturation magnetization in nanocomposite films is attributed to the exchange coupling between the soft and hard phases. The highest coercivity of about 13.9 kOe is achieved in the Mo(50 nm)/Pr–Fe–B(50 nm)/Mo(2 nm)/Fe(2 nm)/Mo(2 nm)/Pr–Fe–B(50 nm)/Mo(50 nm) film and increasing the thickness of soft-magnetic layer results in a continuous decreasing of the coercivity.