Well-isolated L1{sub 0} FePt-SiN{sub x}-C nanocomposite films with large coercivity and small grain size

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3671430· OSTI ID:22038905

Dong, K F; Li, H H; Chow, G M; Chen, J S ^[1]; Peng, Y G; Ju, G ^[2]

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1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 (Singapore)
2. Seagate Technology, Fremont, California 94538 (United States)

FePt-SiN{sub x}-C films on TiN/CrRu/glass substrate with large coercivity, (001) texture, and small isolated grains were obtained by co-sputtering FePt, Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and C targets at 380 deg. C. It was found that when C was doped into the FePt-SiN{sub x} films, the out-of-plane coercivity increased while the small in-plane coercivity remained unchanged. Grain size decreased and grain size distribution became more uniform with increasing the C doping concentration. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profile showed a uniform depth distribution of Si in the FePt layer. The Si2p XPS spectrum implied the existence of Fe-Si bonds, indicating that SiN{sub x} was located at the FePt grain boundaries and was stable against diffusion to the surface, thus favoring grain isolation. Well-isolated FePt (001) granular films with coercivity higher than 21.5 kOe and an average grain size of 5.6 nm were obtained by doping 40 vol. % of SiN{sub x} and 20 vol. % of C.

• OSTI ID: 22038905
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 111; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CARBON
COERCIVE FORCE
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DEPOSITION
DIFFUSION
DOPED MATERIALS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
GRAIN SIZE
IRON COMPOUNDS
LAYERS
NANOSTRUCTURES
SILICON NITRIDES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SUBSTRATES
TEXTURE
THIN FILMS
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY