title: Excimer laser irradiation effects on soft magnetic properties of sputtered iron nitride thin films.
abstract: Effect of pulse laser irradiation on soft magnetic properties of reactively sputtered iron nitride thin film has been studied. The as-deposited films exhibit large coercivity in the range 54 Oe to 148 Oe. Laser irradiation results in remarkable decrease in the coercivity of the films, the minimum value achieved being 8 Oe. X-ray diffraction measurements evidence structural relaxation in the films, resulting in densification. Surface roughness of the films exhibits only a marginal increase after laser irradiation. The observed decrease in the coercivity may be attributed to the relaxation of some quenched-in stresses associated with structural relaxation in the films. Irradiation as a function of energy density of laser pulse shows that an optimum energy density is required to achieve the best soft magnetic properties, which can vary from sample to sample.
authors.affiliation: UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, University Campus, Khandwa Road, Indore 452017, India.
authors.forename: Ranu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Phase
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prakash