Magnetic properties and microstructure of FePt/Au multilayers with high perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy

Journal Article · Mon Oct 13 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3001801· OSTI ID:21175661

Chun, Feng; Qian, Zhan; Baohe, Li; Jiao, Teng; Minghua, Li; Yong, Jiang; Guanghua, Yu ^[1]

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1. Department of Materials Physics and Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)

FePt/Au multilayers were deposited on preheated 100 deg. C MgO (001) single crystal substrates by magnetron sputtering. Magnetic properties and microstructure of the films were studied. Results show that the film possesses high coercivity H{sub C}, excellent perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), and weak interparticle exchange coupling (IEC) after annealing. FePt and Au can grow epitaxially on MgO substrates along the [001] direction, leading to excellent PMA. Au atoms partly diffuse to the boundaries of FePt phases and function as grain refiners and particle isolators, which markedly decrease the FePt grain size and IEC. Moreover, the additional FePt/Au interface energy, the stress energy due to the mismatch between FePt and Au lattices, and the diffusion of Au atoms all promote the ordering process of FePt film. This leads to the decrease in ordering temperature by 150 deg. C and a considerable increase in H{sub C}.

• OSTI ID: 21175661
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 93; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANISOTROPY
ANNEALING
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
COERCIVE FORCE
DEPOSITION
EPITAXY
GOLD
GRAIN REFINEMENT
GRAIN SIZE
IRON ALLOYS
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETRONS
MONOCRYSTALS
PLATINUM ALLOYS
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS