The European Physical Journal Applied Physics

Table of Contents - February 2000 - Volume 9, Issue 02  

Research Article

Phase analysis of nanocomposite magnetic materials by electron energy loss spectrometry

C. Hébert-Souchea1, J. Bernardia1, P. Schattschneidera1, J. Fidlera1 and B. Jouffreya2

Institut für Angewandte und Technische Physik, Technische Universität Wien, 1040 Wien, Austria

LMSS-Mat, CNRS-URA 850, École Centrale Paris, grande voie des Vignes, 92295 Châtenay-Malabry, France

Abstract

EELS (electron energy loss spectrometry) in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to determine the composition of a nanocrystalline magnetic specimen. The relative amounts of the hard magnetic phase Nd2Fe14B and the soft magnetic phase Fe3B at the point of measurement was measured by standard EELS quantification. In order to determine the structure of Fe3B present, the fine structure of the boron K-ionisation edge was analysed. Comparison of the experimental spectra with simulations of the fine structures based on the TELNES extension of the WIEN97 program package, a full potential linearised augmented plane wave approach to the calculation of electronic structure in crystals, shows that the tetragonal form of Fe3B is predominant.

(Received June 8 1999)

(Revised October 19 1999)

(Accepted January 17 2000)

(Online publication February 15 2000)

PACS:

  • 82.80.Pv – Electron spectroscopy (x-ray photoelectron (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), etc.);
  • 75.50.Kj – Amorphous and nanocrystalline magnetic materials; quasicrystals