Influence of inert gas incorporation on uniaxial anisotropy of sputtered GdCo thin films
A study was made of the gas content and uniaxial anisotropy of GdCo films as a function of bias voltage and gas pressure. Unlike previous studies of GdCo, in this investigation, a multi-target sputtering system was used, making it possible to keep the Gd/Co ratio (and hence 4..pi..M) relatively constant while the bias and pressure were varied. For low bias voltages, the anisotropy was found to increase with bias as has been reported in the literature. However, unlike previous studies, we found that the anisotropy reached a peak value at approx.200 V and then decreased with bias at higher voltages. When argon was used as the sputtering gas, it was found that the gas content in the film also peaked at approx.200 V; with neon, the gas content did not peak but decreased with bias at voltages over approx.100 V. Samples deposited with an argon pressure of 50 mTorr show an approximate proportionality between anisotropy and gas content, suggesting that the presence of the gas is at least partly responsible for the generation of growth-induced anisotropy in GdCo films.
- Research Organization:
- Sperry Research Center, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776
- OSTI ID:
- 5122822
- Journal Information:
- J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 49:3; ISSN JAPIA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
ALLOY SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
AMORPHOUS STATE
ANISOTROPY
ARGON
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
COBALT ALLOYS
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
ELEMENTS
FILMS
GADOLINIUM ALLOYS
IMPURITIES
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
NEON
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
RARE GASES
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SPUTTERING
SYNTHESIS