Effects of the compositional change and the contamination on the magnetic and magnetostrictive characteristics of TbxDy1−xFe2 (x=0−1) films

The effects of both compositional changes and contaminations upon the magnetic and magnetostrictive characteristics of TbxDy1−xFe2 films were systematically investigated. For films formed under relatively clean conditions at low vacuum-to-deposition rates, a maximum in in-plane magnetostriction was measured at the Tb to Dy ratio. However, for contaminated films, the ratio x with a maximum magnetostriction was shifted to x=0.4. The increasing effect of contamination was induced magnetostrictive hysteresis. The results obtained in this study should be taken into account in the standardization of the assessment of magnetostrictive characteristics of TbxDy1−xFe2 films.