Striped domain of Fe-based amorphous ribbon under various Lorentz SEM conditions

Abstract
Magnetic domains of field annealed Fe_80.5Si₇B₁₂C_0.5 amorphous ribbon were investigated by observation with Lorentz SEM, varying accelerating voltage and beam scanning area using backscattered electron distribution, so-called Type-2 contrast. A typical striped pattern, with Landau-Lifshitz type domain superimposed on main 180 degree domains, was obtained under the condition of high accelerating voltage and large aperture. It is attributed to the thermal strain under these observation conditions. The possibility to create another type of stressed domain pattern during the observation in SEM is discussed in rapidly quenched Fe-based amorphous ribbons due to high saturation magnetostriction and low thermal conductivity.