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Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of CoCrTa Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

C. J. Robinson
Affiliation:
IBM Magnetic Recording Institute, IBM Almadén Research Centre, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, Ca.95120–6099
J. K. Howard
Affiliation:
IBM Magnetic Recording Institute, IBM Almadén Research Centre, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, Ca.95120–6099
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Abstract

The addition of Ta into thin sputtered films of CoCr greatly affects the microstructure and magnetic properties. Grain size, crystallographic preferred orientation and hysteresis parameters have been studied using transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, polar Kerr effect and vibrating sample magnetometry techniques. Crystallographic preferred orientation is enhanced and is accompanied by increased perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. An extremely fine-grained microstructure is produced giving rise to films which show no morphological growth features. Thus the observed magnetocrystalline anisotropy is not attributed to columnar growth. Orientation in these films can be further increased by using under-layers of non-ferromagnetic CoCrTa alloys. The mechanism by which this occurs is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1986

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References

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