Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
We have investigated structural and magnetic properties of CoPt alloy films with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the thickness range between 100Å and 400A. From a detailed x-ray analysis we find highly (111) -textured CoPt Microcrystal-lites in all samples. STM studies reveal a granular topography with grain diameters of up to 250Å. Measurements of hysteresis loops yield a saturation field which increases with thickness, and which is consistent with a freely mobile domain Model. Brillouin light scattering measurements of the frequencies of the surface and standing spin wave modes yield a bulk exchange constant, which is strongly dependent on the Pt content.