Patent ID: 8920670

Claim:
A magnetic material comprising: a plurality of first magnetic particles comprising at least one magnetic metal selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, the first magnetic particles being 1 μm or greater in particle size and being 5 to 50 μm in average particle size; a plurality of second magnetic particles comprising at least one magnetic metal selected from the group including consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, the second magnetic particles being smaller than 1 μm in particle size and being 5 to 50 nm in average particle size; and an intermediate phase existing between the first magnetic particles and the second magnetic particles, wherein the intermediate phase coats at least part of the second magnetic particles, to form a composite particle, and wherein at least one of the following limitations a)-d) apply: a) the second magnetic particles comprise at least one nonmagnetic metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Zr, Ti, Hf, Zn, Mn, Ba, Sr, Cr, Mo, Ag, Ga, Sc, V, Y, Nb, Pb, Cu, In, Sn, and a rare-earth element, and the intermediate phase comprises at least one of the nonmagnetic metals; b) a volume ratio of the second magnetic particles to the composite particle is 40 to 80 volume percent; c) a volume ratio of the composite particle to the first magnetic particles is 10 to 30 volume percent; d) an atomic ratio of nonmagnetic metal to magnetic metal in the intermediate phase in the composite particle is higher than an atomic ratio of nonmagnetic metal to magnetic metal in the second magnetic particles, and oxygen content in the intermediate phase in the composite particle is larger than oxygen content in the second magnetic particles.