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Journal of Applied Physics -- March 1, 1987 -- Volume 61, Issue 5, pp. 1979-1989

Structure and magnetism of Co-Cr thin films with an artificial superlattice structure

Noboru Sato

Sony Corporation, Research Center, 7-35 Kitashinagawa 6-chome, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141, Japan

(Received 1 August 1986; accepted 15 October 1986)

Cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) thin films deposited in an alternating multilayer structure by the magnetron sputtering method have an artificial superlattice hexagonal closed pack (hcp) structure with the c-axis normal to the film plane, where the c-plane of hcp-Co grows epitaxially on the (110) plane of the bcc-Cr. The film, composed of monatomic layers of Cr and then several atomic layers of Co in an alternating fashion, has an especially excellent hcp structure and shows a clearly separated spot pattern in reflection high-energy electron diffraction analysis. The artificial superlattice structure of the film is stable thermally to temperatures up to 500 °C. Small-angle x-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the layering of monatomic layers of Co and Cr, where the periodicity of layers was found to be about 5 Å. Transmission electron microscopic observation proved the artificially layered structure in these films. The films showed ferromagnetism over a wide Cr composition range, where the thickness ratio of Co and Cr layers was varied from 4/1 to 1/4. The perpendicular magnetization hysteresis loop was obtained in films with a Co layer thinner than about 12.5 Å for various thickness ratios of Co and Cr layers. It is concluded that the origins of the perpendicular magnetization in the Co-Cr films with artificial superlattice structures are the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the shape anisotropy related to the columnar structure. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics.

doi:10.1063/1.337993
PACS: 68.65.+g, 75.60.Ej, 75.70.Ak, 75.50.Rr        Additional Information

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