Cross-sectional configuration analysis and magnetic properties of SmFe 2/Fe exchange-coupled multilayers

In this study, SmFe2 monolayer and SmFe2/Fe multilayers were fabricated by the IBSD method. It scored a first by analyzing the TEM images of SmFe2 monolayer and cross-sectional configuration of SmFe2/Fe multilayers. The soft magnetic properties of the samples were measured by an alternating gradient magnetometer (AGM). The results showed that both SmFe2 monolayer and the SmFe2 layers in the multilayers were amorphous, while Fe layers were polycrystalline. Compact and high cohesion scale can be observed in all layers for the multilayers. In addition, an obvious transitional area between the film and substrate existed in the multilayers. Due to the strong exchange-coupled interaction among the layers of SmFe2/Fe, the easy axis turned to the direction parallel to the applied magnetic field, and the much smaller coercive force of the x direction compared with that of the SmFe2 monolayer (10.80 vs. 23.96kA/m) contributed to the excellent soft magnetic properties of SmFe2/Fe multilayers.