Magnetic Softening of Metallic Glasses by Current Annealing Technique

The current annealing (CA) method used for magnetic softening of amorphous alloys is observed by estimation of annealing temperature based on on-line infrared radiation and electrical resistivity measurements. Multi-step CA treatments were performed on FINEMET-type alloys as well as on novel Fe-based amorphous alloys with a large supercooled liquid region in order to attain different degrees of relaxation or nanocrystallization. Recent results on improvement of magneto-resistance and magnetoimpedance effects by applying this technique in ribbon and wire shaped samples are reviewed.