Thin-film magnetic material and process of production thereof

A process for producing a thin-film magnetic material having a magnetic thin film formed on a polymer substrate and exhibiting large Barkhausen discontinuity without intentional application of external or tensile stress on use, the magnetic thin film being formed by sputtering on a substrate during which the normal line of the substrate is directed obliquely to a target plate.

A marker for use in an article surveillance system for identifying an article by forming a cyclic magnetic field of a predetermined frequency in a surveillance area, attaching a magnetic marker to the article to be identified, and detecting a harmonic frequency of the magnetic field generated by the article brought into the surveillance area;

• the marker being constituted of a thin-film magnetic material formed on a polymer substrate and exhibiting large Barkhausen continuity without intentional application of external torsional or tensile stress on use.

A magnetic sensor, constituted of a magnetic core portion and a coil portion placed around the magnetic core portion, the core portion comprising a magnetic thin film material which exhibits large Barkhausen discontinuity without intentional application of external torsional or tensile stress on use.

A rotation sensor constituted of a magnetic sensor composed of a magnetic core portion and a coil portion placed in proximity to the magnetic core portion, and a magnetic field-applying means composed of a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, the magnetic field-applying means being attached to a rotating article, and the magnetic sensor being placed in proximity to the magnetic field-applying means and comprising a thin-film magnetic material formed on a polymer substrate and exhibiting large Barkhausen discontinuity without intentional application of external torsional or tensile stress on use.