Crystallization and structural relaxation of Co48Mn20Ge10B10Si12 amorphous alloy

Co-Mn-Ge metallic glass was produced by melt-spinning process. When annealed below its crystallization temperature, the alloy exhibited a dramatic increase in magnetization, which was attributed to the relaxation of the amorphous structure. The increased glass stability due to the relaxation by moderate annealing was well demonstrated as the amorphous alloy remained nearly amorphous during the second annealing step even though the annealing temperature was raised well above the crystallization temperature. It was concluded that a redistribution of Ge atoms and subsequent change in chemical short-range ordering may have been responsible for the observed relaxation phenomenon.