The microstructures of sputtered TbFe thin films were investigated with transmission electron microscopy. In the films sputtered at low Ar pressure of 0.13Pa, the microstructures appeared smooth and featureless, but in those sputtered at higher Ar pressures, columnar structures have been produced. As the Ar pressure increased, the microstructures showed larger columns and clearer columnar boundaries, which are developed due to increase of oblique incidence component and decrease of the average energy of incident atoms in the coating flux. .4n evidence of preferential oxidation of Tb appeared in the films sputtered at. high Ar pressures through the analyses of electron diffraction patterns. |
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