title: Magnetic Properties of FeNi-Based Thin Film Materials with Different Additives.
abstract: This paper presents a study of FeNi-based thin film materials deposited with Mo, Al and B using a co-sputtering process. The existence of soft magnetic properties in combination with strong magneto-mechanical coupling makes these materials attractive for sensor applications. Our findings show that FeNi deposited with Mo or Al yields magnetically soft materials and that depositing with B further increases the softness. The out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy of FeNi thin films is reduced by depositing with Al and completely removed by depositing with B. The effect of depositing with Mo is dependent on the Mo concentration. The coercivity of FeNiMo and FeNiAl is reduced to less than a half of that of FeNi, and a value as low as 40 A/m is obtained for FeNiB. The surfaces of the obtained FeNiMo, FeNiAl and FeNiB thin films reveal very different morphologies. The surface of FeNiMo shows nano-cracks, while the FeNiAl films show large clusters and fewer nano-cracks. When FeNi is deposited with B, a very smooth morphology is obtained. The crystal structure of FeNiMo strongly depends on the depositant concentration and changes into an amorphous structure at a higher Mo level. FeNiAl thin films remain polycrystalline, even at a very high concentration of Al, and FeNiB films are amorphous, even at a very low concentration of B.
authors.affiliation: Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 4700 Kaust, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; E-Mails: chinthaka.gooneratne@gmail.com (C.P.G.); jurgen.kosel@kaust.edu.sa (J.K.).
authors.forename: Cai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 4700 Kaust, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; E-Mails: chinthaka.gooneratne@gmail.com (C.P.G.); jurgen.kosel@kaust.edu.sa (J.K.).
authors.forename: Chinthaka P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Gooneratne
authors.affiliation: Core Laboratory and Major Facilities, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 4700 Kaust, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; E-Mails: qingxiao.wang@kaust.edu.sa (Q.X.W.); yang.liu@kaust.edu.sa (Y.L.).
authors.forename: Qing Xiao
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Core Laboratory and Major Facilities, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 4700 Kaust, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; E-Mails: qingxiao.wang@kaust.edu.sa (Q.X.W.); yang.liu@kaust.edu.sa (Y.L.).
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; E-Mail: yogesh@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Yogesh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gianchandani
authors.affiliation: Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 4700 Kaust, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; E-Mails: chinthaka.gooneratne@gmail.com (C.P.G.); jurgen.kosel@kaust.edu.sa (J.K.).
authors.forename: Jurgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kosel
keywords: longitudinal vibration; magnetic materials; magnetic sensor; magnetic thin films; magnetoelastic; magnetostriction