Micromagnetic Simulation Of Effect Of Stress-Induced Anisotropy In Soft Magnetic Thin Films

The effect of stress in soft magnetic thin films, in particular, on the in-plane anisotropy, has been studied, based on the analysis of the magnetoelastic energy associated with the stress. The easy-axis directions and the effective anisotropy constants have been identified, as functions of the stress, the magnetostriction coefficients of the material, and the growth texture of the film. The magnetoelastic energy has been combined into an existing micromagnetic model to simulate the magnetization of thin films with various materials, stress states, and growth textures. Simulation results of static magnetic domain structures are in agreement with the theoretical predictions. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.