Magnetic properties of Pr-Fe-B/Mn films with perpendicular anisotropy

The influence of a Mn layer on the magnetic properties of sputtered Pr-Fe-B/Mn films with Cu spacer layer has been investigated for various Mn layer thicknesses. The Pr-Fe-B/Mn films all possess perpendicular anisotropy. An enhancement of the intrinsic coercivity iHc is observed for suitable Mn layer thickness and iHc exhibits an oscillatory dependence on the thickness of the Mn layer with a period of about 60 nm. The average size of the columnar Pr2Fe14B grains is about 100 nm. A highest iHc value of 22.1 kOe and an optimal (BH)max value of 18.2 MGOe are reported for these Pr-Fe-B/Mn films.