Effect of High Magnetic Field on the Growth, Magnetic, and Electrical Properties of Nanocrystalline Ni Films with Different Thicknesses and Growth Rates

摘要

To realize the application of Ni films in magnetic recording media, giantmagnetoresistive sensors and microelectromechanical systems, it is necessaryto control and improve the magnetic and electrical properties of thefilms. In this paper, Ni nanocrystalline films with different thicknesses andgrowth rates are prepared with or without a high magnetic field (HMF). Theeffects of a HMF on the growth, magnetic and electrical properties of the Nifilms are studied. The results show that HMF changes the growth structureof the Ni films from disordered stacked grains to columnar growth along thedirection of the HMF. The columnar growth becomes more prominent at ahigh growth rate and large film thickness. The HMF increases the grain sizebut decreases the surface roughness of the Ni films. Due to changes in thegrowth structure, grain size and film quality, the saturation magnetization ofthe Ni films increase markedly (by 89%), and the resistivity and coercivitysignificantly decrease (by 89 and 58%, respectively) by the HMF. Theremanence ratio of the Ni films is controlled by the HMF. This study showsthat a HMF effectively controls the growth and improves the magnetic andelectrical properties of Ni films.