Magnetic material and electronic component
A magnetic material has: multiple soft magnetic alloy grains that contain Fe, element L (where element L is Si, Zr, or Ti), and element M (where element M is not Si, Zr, or Ti, and oxidizes more easily than Fe); a first oxide film that contains element L and covers each of the multiple soft magnetic alloy grains; a second oxide film that contains element M and covers the first oxide film; a third oxide film that contains element L and covers the second oxide film; a fourth oxide film that contains Fe and covers the third oxide film; and bonds that are constituted by parts of the fourth oxide film and that bond the multiple soft magnetic alloy grains together.
1. A magnetic material, comprising:
multiple soft magnetic alloy grains that contain Fe, element L (where element L is Si, Zr, or Ti), and element M (where element M is not Si, Zr, or Ti, and oxidizes more easily than Fe);
a first oxide film that contains element L and covers each of the multiple soft magnetic alloy grains;
a second oxide film that contains element M and covers the first oxide film;
a third oxide film that contains element L, covers the second oxide film, and is amorphous in nature; and
a fourth oxide film that contains Fe and covers the third oxide film; and
bonding parts that are constituted by parts of the fourth oxide film and that bond the multiple soft magnetic alloy grains together.
2. A magnetic material according to claim 1 , wherein element M is Cr.
3. A magnetic material according to claim 1 , wherein element L is Si.
4. A magnetic material according to claim 1 , wherein the third oxide film has a thickness equal to or greater than a thickness of the first oxide film.
5. A magnetic material according to claim 1 , wherein the third oxide film has a thickness of 1 nm or more but no more than 20 nm.
6. A magnetic material according to claim 1 , wherein the first oxide film contains more element L than element M, the second oxide film contains more element M than element L, the third oxide film contains more element L than element M and is amorphous, and the fourth oxide film contains more Fe than element L and also contains more Fe than does any of the first to third oxide films.
7. A magnetic material according to claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple soft magnetic alloy grains is covered with a coating layer as the first oxide film, said coating layer being constituted by amorphous silicon oxide and covering substantially an entire surface of each grain.
8. A magnetic material according to claim 7 , wherein the coating layer has a thickness of 1 nm or more and less than 25 nm.
9. A magnetic material comprising:
multiple soft magnetic alloy grains that contain Fe, element L (where element L is Si, Zr, or Ti), and element M (where element M is not Si, Zr, or Ti, and oxidizes more easily than Fe);
a first oxide film that contains element L and covers each of the multiple soft magnetic alloy grains;
a second oxide film that contains element M and covers the first oxide film;
a third oxide film that contains element L, covers the second oxide film, and is amorphous in nature; and
a fourth oxide film that contains Fe and covers the third oxide film.
10. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 1 .
11. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 2 .
12. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 3 .
13. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 4 .
14. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 5 .
15. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 6 .
16. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 7 .
17. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 8 .
18. An electronic component having a magnetic core that contains a magnetic material according to claim 9 .