Influence of ion irradiation on switching field and switching field distribution in arrays of Co/Pd-based bit pattern media

Journal Article · Mon Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3581896· OSTI ID:21518406

Hauet, T ^[1]; Hellwig, O; Dobisz, E; Terris, B D ^[1]; Park, S -H; Ravelosona, D ^[2]; Beigne, C ^[3]

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1. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, SJRC, San Jose, California 95135 (United States)
2. Institut d'Electronique Fondamentale, UMR CNRS 8622, Universite Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay (France)
3. DRFMC/SP2M, CEA Grenoble, 38054 Grenoble (France)

We have used ion irradiation to tune switching field and switching field distribution (SFD) in polycrystalline Co/Pd multilayer-based bit pattern media. Light He{sup +} ion irradiation strongly decreases perpendicular magnetic anisotropy amplitude due to Co/Pd interface intermixing, while the granular structure, i.e., the crystalline anisotropy, remains unchanged. In dot arrays, the anisotropy reduction leads to a decrease in coercivity (H{sub C}) but also to a strong broadening of the normalized SFD/H{sub C} (in percentage), since the relative impact of misaligned grains is enhanced. Our experiment thus confirms the major role of misorientated grains in SFD of nanodevice arrays.

• OSTI ID: 21518406
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 17; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3581896; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AMPLITUDES
ANISOTROPY
COBALT COMPOUNDS
COERCIVE FORCE
DISTRIBUTION
HELIUM IONS
INTERFACES
ION BEAMS
IRRADIATION
LAYERS
PALLADIUM COMPOUNDS
POLYCRYSTALS
REDUCTION
BEAMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRYSTALS
IONS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS