Abstract
The magnetostriction and magnetic properties of sputtered SmxFe100-x (3≤x≤54) thin films were investigated at room temperature. The films have amorphous structure at x≥12. The magnetostriction (-λ) of these films increased rapidly in low fields (<1 kOe) and reached maximum values of 130-160×10-6 at 16 kOe for x=30-40, suggesting that Sm-Fe films could be used for micro-actuators and sensors. The magnetic properties did not show clear dependence on the sputtering conditions, such as input power, Ar gas pressure, and substrate temperature (≤250°C).
