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Magnetic Properties and Micromagnetic Character of RF Sputtered Co Thin Films on Thin Cr Underlayers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

T. Yeh ,
J. M. Sivertsen  and
J. H. Judy
T. Yeh
Affiliation:
The Center for Micromagnetics and Information TechnologiesUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U. S. A. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials ScienceUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U. S. A.
J. M. Sivertsen
Affiliation:
The Center for Micromagnetics and Information TechnologiesUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U. S. A. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials ScienceUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U. S. A.
J. H. Judy
Affiliation:
The Center for Micromagnetics and Information TechnologiesUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U. S. A. Department of Electrical Engineering University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U. S. A.
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Abstract

The effect of thin Cr underlayers on the coercivity, the initial susceptibility, and micromagnetic structure of RF sputtered Co/Cr thin films have been studied. A reciprocal relationship between the initial susceptibility and the coercivity of the RF sputtered Co/Cr films were observed. Micromagnetic images of these Co/Cr films obtained by Fresnel mode Lorentz TEM revealed a refinement of the micromagnetic images correlated with a simultaneous increase in coercivity and decrease in initial susceptibility. Such behavior is expected in cases where the initial magnetization and magnetization reversal are hindered by the variation of local energy with the magnetic moment distribution. The interaction of the Cr underlayers with the Co magnetic overlayer very likely induces fluctuations in local magnetic energy of the Co films. Accordingly, the initial magnetization and magnetization reversal are likely to be impeded by fluctuations of the magnetic energy resulting in the observed increase in coercivity and decrease in initial susceptibility.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 232: Symposium T – Magnetic Materials: Microstructure and Properties , 1991 , 15
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

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References

REFERENCES

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