Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
Co/Pd multilayers containing one to eight atomic layers of cobalt and ten atomic layers of palladium per modulation period were prepared in two orienotarteiottnoss, [111]fcc and [001]fcc. The [111] films were polycrystalline, the [001] films were epitaxial.
In this paper we compare the magnetic anisotropy of both types of films, which can be described by an interface anisotropy contribution favouring perpendicular magnetization and a volume contribution favouring in-plane magnetization. Depending on the deposition temperature, a perpendicular anisotropy for [111] films is found for up to about six atomic layers of Co. The [001] films however, show perpendicular anisotropy only for Co monolayers or Co bilayers. The large difference between the anisotropies in the two orientations is mainly caused by a strong in-plane anisotropy volume term which exists for [001] films, and which is attributed to the structural deformation of the Co layers from cubic to tetragonal. For both orientations a higher deposition temperature is found to lead to an increase of the interface anisotropy due to smoothing of the layers.