Microstructure and magnetic properties of FePt:Ag nanocomposite films on SiO2/Si(1 0 0)

FePt:Ag nanocomposite films were prepared by pulsed filtered vacuum arc deposition system and subsequent rapid thermal annealing on SiO₂/Si(1 0 0) substrates. The microstructure and magnetic properties were investigated. A strong dependence of coercivity and ordering of the face-central tetragonal structure on both Ag concentration and annealing temperature was observed. With Ag concentration of 22% in atomic ratio, the coercivity got to 6.0 kOe with a grain size of 6.7 nm when annealing temperature was 400 °C.     

Epitaxial growth of Co(0 0 0 1)hcp/Fe(1 1 0)bcc magnetic bi-layer films on SrTiO3(1 1 1) substrates

Co(0 0 0 1)_hcp/Fe(1 1 0)_bcc epitaxial magnetic bi-layer films were successfully prepared on SrTiO₃(1 1 1) substrates. The crystallographic properties of Co/Fe epitaxial magnetic bi-layer films were investigated. Fe(1 1 0)_bcc soft magnetic layer grew epitaxially on SrTiO₃(1 1 1) substrate with two type variants, Nishiyama–Wasserman and Kurdjumov–Sachs relationships. An hcp-Co single-crystal layer is obtained on Ru(0 0 0 1)_hcp interlayer, while hcp-Co layer formed on Au(1 1 1)_fcc or Ag(1 1 1)_fcc interlayer is strained and may involve fcc-Co phase. It has been shown possible to prepare Co/Fe epitaxial magnetic bi-layer films which can be usable for patterned media application.     

Effect of Co layer thickness on structural and magnetic properties of C/Co/C films

Granular C/Co/C films have been prepared by magnetron sputtering from C and Co onto glass substrates at room temperature and subsequent in situ annealing. It has been found that the structure and magnetic properties of the C/Co/C films depend strongly on the Co layer thickness. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements indicate that the in-plane coercivities reach maximum in 20 nm Co thickness of both as-deposited and annealed films. The squareness ratio of annealed films was more than 0.8. X-ray diffraction shows that majority Co nanograins are formed as the hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) structure in 20 nm Co thickness with annealing at 400 °C. Scanning probe microscope was used to scan surface morphology and magnetic domain structures. The values of the surface roughness were lower than 0.6 nm in all annealed samples. The average magnetic cluster size was estimated to be about 10 nm in annealed 20 nm Co thickness films.     

A comparison of the magnetic anisotropy of [001] and [111] oriented Co/Pd Multilayers

Superlattices of [001]_fcc Co/Pd with varying Co thicknesses from one to eight atomic layers per modulation period were epitaxially grown on NaCl by vapour deposition in UHV. Transmission electron diffraction indicates lattice coherence between the Co and the Pd layers for Co thicknesses up to six atomic layers. If deposited at a substrate temperatureT _s=50°C, only the superlattices containing Ci-monolayers show perpendicular magnetization. By raisingT _s to 200°C, the perpendicular anisotropy for Co monolayers is increased, and is also observed for Co bilayers. We suggest that this is due tolayer smoothening, which increases Néel's interface anisotropy. For more than 6 atomic layers of Co a loss of coherence is observed atT _s=50°C, accompanied by a structure transformation to hcp Co with a (0001)_Co(111)_Pd orientation.Non-epitaxial polycrystalline [111]-multilayers have a different anisotropy versus thickness behaviour. For such multilayers the range of Co thicknesses giving perpendicular magnetization is extended from 8 Å up to 12 Å atT _s=200°C. The different behaviour of the single crystal [001] films is caused by a strong volume contribution to the anisotropy, which favours in-plane magnetization, opposing the perpendicular interface anisotropy. This easy-plane term is attributed to magneto-elastic anisotropy due to stretching of the Co layers, via a positive magnetostriction.     

Magnetic structures of exchange bias Ni/FeF2(1 1 0) interface

Electronic and magnetic structures of ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AFM), Ni/FeF₂(1 1 0), with a compensated AFM interface are investigated by using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. We find that magnetic structures at the AFM interface are perturbed by a contact with the FM material, where the superexchange interaction through the interface F excites and induces a small net moment at the AFM interface. These results predicted may play an important role for explaining the exchange bias in this system, and rule out the exchange bias mechanisms with the spin-flop coupling and the magnetic moment reorientation.     

Two-jump magnetic switching in ultrathin Co(0 0 1) films probed by giant magnetoresistance measurements

Ultrathin epitaxial FCC-Co films, which form part of a spin-valve structure, were found to undergo one- or two-jump magnetic switching, in GMR and MOKE measurements depending upon the field orientation. The transitions are mediated by the propagation of 180° or 90° domain walls. The Co two-jump spin switching in the spin-valve structure has contributed to the formation of three stable GMR states: parallel, antiparallel and a new intermediate state.     

Structural and Magnetic Properties of [Fe/Ni]N Multilayers

[Fe/Ni]N multilayered structure grows epitaxially on the single crystalline MgO substrate. Due to the different directions of magnetic easy axes of Fe and Ni and the strong strain, large anisotropy dispersion is assumed. According to the layer model, the magnetization of Fe and Ni layers cannot follow each easy axis because of exchange coupling, and then the anisotropies are averaged out. The reduction of the effective anisotropy enhances with the decrease of periodic thickness. Thus, the coercivity of [Fe/Ni]N multilayers reduces with decreasing periodic thickness.     

Structural and magnetic properties of evaporated Fe thin films on Si(1 1 1), Si(1 0 0) and glass substrates

We present experimental results on the structural and magnetic properties of series of Fe thin films evaporated onto Si(1 1 1), Si(1 0 0) and glass substrates. The Fe thickness, t, ranges from 6 to110 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to study the structure and surface morphology of these films. The magnetic properties were investigated by means of the Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) techniques. The Fe films grow with (1 1 0) texture; as t increases, this (1 1 0) texture becomes weaker for Fe/Si, while for Fe/glass, the texture changes from (1 1 0) to (2 1 1). Grains are larger in Fe/Si than in Fe/glass. The effective magnetization, 4πM_eff, inferred from BLS was found to be lower than the 4πM_S bulk value. Stress induced anisotropy might be in part responsible for this difference. MFM images reveal stripe domain structure for the 110 nm thick Fe/Si(1 0 0) only.     

Texture development and magnetic properties of [ZrO2/CoPt]n/Ag nanocomposite films

The L1₀ CoPt films with (0 0 1) preferred orientation are achieved by fabricating on the glass substrates and post annealing at 600° C for 30 min. The preferred orientation of [ZrO₂/CoPt]_n/Ag films dependence of the Ag underlayer thickness, ZrO₂ and CoPt interlayer thickness is investigated. A large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and a nearly perfect L1₀ CoPt (0 0 1) texture are obtained in the [ZrO₂ (3 nm)/CoPt (5 nm)]₃/Ag (10 nm) film. The existence of ZrO₂ plays an important role in reducing the intergranular interactions and in determining the size of CoPt grains. Magnetic reversal in textured CoPt films are close to a Stoner-Wolfarth rotation.     

Ultrathin Fe films on single crystal and virtual Ge(0 0 1) substrates: Towards the control of magnetic properties

Ultrathin Fe films have been epitaxially grown at room temperature on standard single crystal Ge(0 0 1) substrates and virtual Ge/Si(0 0 1) substrates. Their magnetic and electronic properties have been investigated in situ by spin polarized inverse photoemission and magneto-optical Kerr effect. In both cases, the onset of ferromagnetism appears definitively at 3 ML, and the overall behavior is very similar in the case of standard and virtual substrates, so that the latter can be employed for growing high quality Fe/Ge/Si interfaces. All the films investigated display uniaxial anisotropy, which is explained in terms of the surface morphology induced by the preparation conditions.     

Microstructure and magnetic properties of nanocomposite FePt/MgO and FePt/Ag films

An in-plane magnetic anisotropy of FePt film is obtained in the MgO 5 nm/FePt t nm/MgO 5 nm films (where t=5, 10 and 20 nm). Both the in-plane coercivity (H_c∥) and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of FePt films are increased when introducing an Ag-capped layer instead of MgO-capped layer. An in-plane coercivity is 3154 Oe for the MgO 5 nm/FePt 10 nm/MgO 5 nm film, and it can be increased to 4846 Oe as a 5 nm Ag-capped layer instead of MgO-capped layer. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-energy disperse spectrum (EDS) analysis shows that the Ag mainly distributed at the grain boundary of FePt, that leads the increase of the grain boundary energy, which will enhance coercivity and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of FePt film.     

On the field dependence of the interface energy in AF/FM bilayers

In the investigations of antiferromagnetic (AF)/ferromagnetic (FM) bilayer samples, often distinct experimental techniques yield different values for the measured exchange anisotropy field (H_E). We propose that the observed discrepancy may be accounted in part by the dependence of the unidirectional anisotropy with the value of the externally applied cooling field (h). Using a simple microscopic model for representing the AF/FM interface, which incorporates the effect of interface roughness, we show that the interface energy between the AF and FM layer indeed varies with h, as recently observed in anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements, lending support to our proposal.     

Magnetic and magneto-optical properties of FeRh thin films

The magnetic and magneto-optical properties of FeRh thin films epitaxially deposited onto MgO(1 0 0) substrates by RF sputter-deposition system have been investigated in conjunction with the structure. An intriguing virgin effect has been found in the M–T curves of the as-deposited FeRh thin films, which is presumably interpreted in term of a change in structural phase when heating. Also, a (negative) maximum peak of Kerr rotation at around 3.8 eV has been observed when FeRh thin films are in ferromagnetic state. The polar Kerr rotation angle is found to increase at temperatures above 100 °C, which corresponds to the antiferromagnet (AF)–ferromagnet (FM) transition of FeRh thin films.     

Hard magnetic properties of ErCo7−xCux [0.3⩽x⩽1] system

We report the observation of excellent hard magnetic properties on purely single phase ErCo_7−xCu_x compounds with x=0.3, 0.5, 0.8 and 1. Cu substitution leads to a decrease in the saturation magnetization, but enhances the uniaxial anisotropy in this system. The large anisotropy field (∼100 kOe) is attributed to the Er and the Co sublattices. Domain wall pinning effect seems to play a crucial role in determining the temperature and field dependences of magnetization in these compounds. The hard magnetic properties obtained at room temperature (RT) are comparable to the best results obtained in other RCo₇ based materials.     

Effect of Co layer thickness on the magnetic properties of Tb30Co70/SiNx/Co thin films

The SiN_x (20 nm)/Tb₃₀Co₇₀ (90 nm)/SiN_x (5 nm)/Co (3–37 nm)/SiN_x (10 nm)/Si multilayer films are deposited on naturally oxidized Si wafer by magnetron sputtering. The saturation magnetization (M_s) of the multilayer films is increased with the thickness of high M_s ferromagnetic Co layer. The perpendicular coercivity (_Hc⊥$H_{{\mathrm{c}}^{\perp }}$) value is increased with Co layer thickness as the thickness of the Co layer is lower than 15 nm and then decreases drastically when the thickness of the Co layer further increased. The increase of the _Hc⊥$H_{{\mathrm{c}}^{\perp }}$ value is owing to the interlayer exchange effect [Li Zhang, Physica B 390 (2007) 373] between TbCo and Co layers. Co under-layer with in-plane magnetic anisotropy would pin the magnetic moment of the TbCo layer near by the Co layer and cause the value of _Hc⊥$H_{{\mathrm{c}}^{\perp }}$ to increase. However, as the Co layer is thicker than a critical thickness, the _Hc⊥$H_{{\mathrm{c}}^{\perp }}$ value of the multilayer film would decrease. Therefore, the Co layer with in-plane magnetic anisotropy and soft magnetic properties is expected to dominate the magnetic properties of the multilayer films.     

MOCVD growth, structure and magnetic properties of Fe films grown on GaAs (001) substrates

Thin iron films have been grown on (001) GaAs substrates by low pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) at different temperatures with the pressure of 150 Torr. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that all films have only one strong diffraction peak (110). The surface of Fe film became smooth with increasing the growth temperature. Magnetization measurements showed that the Fe films grown at different temperatures were ferromagnetic with easy axis parallel to the film surface and hard axis perpendicular to the substrates. The field dependence of magnetization along two axes showed a remarkable difference, implying that the samples have strong magnetic anisotropy. Furthermore, when the applied magnetic field is perpendicular to the Fe surface, a sharp jump in the hysteresis loop could be observed, followed by a broad shoulder, which is related to the interface effect, the existence of carbon and the formation of 180^°/90^° magnetic domains.     

Strain relaxation of epitaxial SiGe layer and Ge diffusion during Ni silicidation on cap-Si/SiGe/Si(0 0 1)

Strain relaxation of the epitaxial SiGe layer and Ge diffusion during nickel silicidation by rapid thermal annealing the structure of Ni(≅14 nm)/cap-Si(≅26 nm)/Si_0.83Ge_0.17/Si(0 0 1) at the elevated annealing temperatures, T_A, were investigated by X-ray diffraction analyses of high-resolution ω-2θ scan and reciprocal space mapping. The analyses showed a much larger strain relaxation at a lower T_A and a reduction in Ge content in the SiGe layer of Ni/SiGe/Si(0 0 1) after thermal annealing compared to the case of cap-Si/SiGe/Si(0 0 1). The results indicate that the strain relaxation of the SiGe layers in NiSi/SiGe/Si(0 0 1) is related to the phenomena of NiSi agglomeration and penetration into the SiGe layer during silicidation at elevated anneal temperatures ≥750 °C. At elevated T_A ≥ 750 °C, Ge diffused into the intact cap-Si area during silicidation.     

Anisotropy dispersion in (CoCrPt)1−x(SiO2)x perpendicular recording media

The distribution of easy axis orientation in perpendicular media is of technological importance because it affects the value of S^* (see Fig. 1), which quantifies the switching field distribution (SFD) and hence partially determines the data density achievable on a given medium. The distribution is controlled by the crystallographic orientation of grains and factors such as intergranular exchange and dipolar coupling. Due to strong demagnetising fields in the perpendicular orientation, traditional measurements of remanence as a function of angle are difficult to interpret and have required the use of large-scale computational models. In this work we have utilised the variation of coercivity H_C with angle, which has the advantage that at H_C the global demagnetising field is zero. Additionally, since such materials follow essentially the Stoner–Wohlfarth mode of reversal, the variation of H_C with angle, H_C(θ), is much greater than that for the remanence. We find that for (CoCrPt)_1−x(SiO₂)_x, where the level of exchange coupling is controlled, the distribution of magnetic easy axes is narrower when the exchange coupling is reduced, but dipolar coupling between the grains is strong and affects the magnetisation reversal significantly.     

The growth of soft magnetic FeNiN thin films under different experimental procedures

FeNiN thin films with good soft magnetic properties were synthesized on Si (1 0 0) substrates at 473 K by RF magnetron sputtering. The dependence of phase structure and magnetic properties on nitrogen partial pressure, nickel concentrations, film thickness and substrate temperature were systematically investigated. The phase evolution from α-(Fe,Ni)N to ξ-(Fe,Ni)₂N with increase of nitrogen partial pressure was seen. The addition of Ni caused FeNiN films to turn from BCC structure to FCC structure. Clear reproducible striped domains appeared at the film surfaces when X_Ni=19.6%, which is explained by the high enough perpendicular anisotropy and the small stress in the film. All films show smooth surfaces and good soft magnetic properties compared to corresponding FeN compounds. The magnetic properties depended dramatically on the phase structure. Optimum soft magnetic properties with H_C of <1 Oe are obtained between 5.0%?X_Ni?10.0%.