Magnetostrictive material
AssigneeBritish Technology Group Limited
InventorMichael R. J. Gibbs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetic material of at least two component parts arranged to have respective structures which mutually are not homogenous, the structure of one part cooperating with the structure of the other to assist the magnetostrictive behaviour of the material. The cooperation can be the structure of one part altering the atomic spacing of the other part. The alteration can be an increase from the usual atomic spacing. There can be contiguous component parts and the cooperation can be a pseudo free surface on at least one part or a reduced restriction of the local moment otherwise achieved by the contiguous component parts. A component can be at least partly an alloy and the alloy can have a ratio other than the usual one for the alloy. One of the components can be non-magnetic.
Claims38
A magnetic material comprising:
- a first component layer having a first atomic structure;
- and
- a second component layer on said first component layer and having a second atomic structure which is non-homogeneous with said first atomic structure of said first component;
- a first surface of said first component layer being contiguous with a first surface of said second component layer;
- a lattice structure of said first component layer at least where said first surface of said first component layer is contiguous with said first surface of said second component layer being modified by said second component layer whereby a magnetostrictive property of said magnetic material is increased.
A magnetic material comprising:
- a first component layer;
- and
- a second component layer overlaid on said first component layer;
- at least one of said first component layer and said second component layer having a lattice structure, said lattice structure being modified by the other of said first component layer and said second component layer at least where said first component layer and said second component layer are contiguous, said modified lattice structure increasing a magnetostrictive property of said magnetic material;
- and
- at least one of said first component layer and said second component layer being a ferromagnetic material.
A method of producing a multilayer magnetic material, comprising the steps of:
- depositing a first component layer on a substrate;
- progressively overlaying a second component layer on said first component layer;
- and
- controlling said deposition of said first component layer and said progressive overlaying of said second component layer to produce respective different atomic structures in each of said first component layer and said second component layer, and a lattice structure of said first component layer being modified by said second component layer at least where said first component layer and said second component layer are contiguous;
- whereby a magnetostrictive property of said multilayer magnetic material is increased.
A method of using a multilayer magnetic material manufactured by steps of:
- depositing a first component layer on a substrate, progressively overlaying a second component layer on said first component layer, and controlling said deposition of said first component layer and said progressive overlaying of said second component layer to produce respective different atomic structures in each of said first component layer and said second component layer, and a lattice structure of said first component layer being modified by said second component layer at least where said first component layer and said second component layer are contiguous, whereby a magnetostrictive property of said multilayer magnetic material is increased, said method of using comprising steps of:
- applying an external force to said magnetic material;
- and
- conveying a response of said multilayer magnetic material due to said force applied to said multilayer magnetic material, to an external connection.
A method of producing a multilayer magnetic material, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first component layer of a first material having a first lattice structure;
- progressively overlaying a second component layer of a second material having a second lattice structure on said first component layer to form a contiguous interface region between said first component layer and said second component layer;
- controlling said progressive overlaying of said second component layer so that at least one of said first component layer and said second component layer has said respective first lattice structure and said second lattice structure modified by said step of progressively overlaying in said contiguous interface region between said first component layer and said second component layer to increase a magnetostrictive property of said multilayer magnetic material.
A method of preparing a magnetic material comprising the steps of:
- providing a first component layer having a first atomic structure;
- overlaying a second component layer having a second atomic structure non-homogeneous with said first atomic structure of said first component layer on said first component layer, at least one of said first component layer and said second component layer being a ferromagnetic material, whereby a contiguous boundary is provided between a first surface of said first component layer and a first surface of said second component layer;
- a magnetostrictive property of said magnetic material being increased at least where said first surface of said second component layer is contiguous with said first component layer;
- and
- producing a stress-free strain in said second component layer, at least at said contiguous boundary between said second component layer and said first component layer.
A method of preparing a magnetic material comprising the steps of:
- providing a first component layer having a first atomic structure;
- overlaying a second component layer having a second atomic structure non-homogeneous with said first atomic structure of said first component layer on said first component layer, whereby a contiguous boundary is provided between a first surface of said first component layer and a first surface of said second component layer;
- whereby said second atomic structure at least where said first surface of said second component layer is contiguous with said first surface of said second layer is influenced by said first atomic structure of said first component layer to increase a magnetostrictive property of said magnetic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.