Abstract: Nitrogen-containing amorphous alloys having a combination of superior properties which are highly valuable and desirable for ferromagnetic materials or superconducting materials are produced by sputtering metallic materials and nitrogen compounds containing semi-metal or semiconducting metal, such as boron or silicon, without requiring the use of nitrogen gas. The produced alloy has a novel structure, represented by the formula:MxLyNz(wherein M is at least one metal or alloy; L is at least one semimetal or semiconducting element; and x, y and z are fractional atomic percentages totaling 100 (i.e., x+y+z=100) and the value of y+z being 10 or more and the respective values of x, y, z being not zero).