Preparation of sputter-deposited Fe-Pd thin films

Fe-30 mol% Pd alloys may combine two abilities, a shape memory effect caused by the fcc-fct structural phase transformation and a magnetostriction effect. Therefore Fe-30 mol% Pd alloy thin films are expected to be applied as magnetic shape memory micro actuators. In this study Fe-30 mol% Pd alloy thin films were prepared on quartz substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The effects of substrate temperature, sputtering power and solution treatment on the crystal structure were investigated. The (γFe, Pd) phase (fcc structure) was obtained either when the sputtering power was above 300 W, or when the thin films were deposited at 100 W and solution-treated at 973 K for 60 s. Furthermore, the magnetic properties of the solution-treated films were examined.