Residual stress change by thermal annealing in amorphous Sm−Fe−B thin films

Abstract The change in the residual stress and its effect on mechanical bending and magnetic properties of sputtered amorphous Sm–Fe–B thin films are investigated as a function of annealing temperature. Two stress components of intrinsic compressive stress and tensile stress due to the difference of the thermal expansion coefficients between the substrate and thin film are used to explain the stress state in as-deposited thin films, and the annealing temperature dependence of residual stress, mechanical bending and magnetic properties.