Abstract
Effect of vacuum annealing on the microstructures and magnetic properties of $Fe_{84}Si_6B_{10}$ films has been investigated as a function of annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were employed to analyze crystallization behavior of the films. Permeability of the films was measured at various frequencies by one-turn coil method. When the films were annealed below 673 K, the coercivity of the films did not change a lot (${\~}$1500 A/m) although the grain size of a crystalline phase in the partially crystallized films increased gradually up to about 16 nm. It then increased rapidly as the films became almost fully crystalline mostly with $\alpha$-(Fe,Si) phase at and above 723 K. On the other hand, the electrical resistivity of the films decreased monotonically with the increase of annealing temperature. The permeabilities of the films annealed at 473${\~}$673 K were all over 1000, showing the optimum value of 3500 at 523 K, and almost constant up to 300 MHz. However, those of the as-deposited and fully crystallized films were lower than 1000 and unstable at the same frequency range.
