Enhancement of magnetostrictive properties of Galfenol thin films

The present study investigates the role of substrate temperatures on the structural, morphological, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of DC sputtered FeGa thin films grown on Si substrates. These films were deposited at various substrate temperatures between 50 and 350 °C. The structural characterization of the films revealed columnar growth and the transformation of surface morphology from prismatic to spherical at high substrate temperatures. Both L12 and B2 phases of FeGa existed in the films, with the L12 phase dominating. The in-plane and out-of-plane vibration sample magnetometry measurements showed the evolution of magnetic anisotropy in these films. It was revealed from the magnetostriction measurements that the films deposited at 250 °C exhibited the maximum value of 59 ppm.