The tracer diffusion of 71Ge was studied in order to obtain some insight into the atomistic transport processes which underlay the formation of magnetic anisotropy in the nanocrystalline soft-magnetic material. The interfacial diffusion characteristics were deduced from the residual intergranular amorphous phase which gave rise to a strongly reduced interface diffusivity when compared to the grain boundaries in metals. The Ge diffusion in nanocrystallites (table 199), which was considered to imitate Si self-diffusion, was much lower than was Fe diffusion; due to the D03 order of the Fe3Si nanocrystallites. The slow Si diffusion in the nanocrystallites was identified as being the rate-controlling process for the generation of field-induced magnetic anisotropy.

S.Herth, M.Eggersmann, G.Herzer, R.Würschum: Philosophical Magazine Letters, 2004, 84[8], 531-7