CoPdCr ALLOY FILMS WITH PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC ANISOTROPY

Abstract

The magnetic and microstructual properties of CoPdCr ternary alloy thin films were studied as a function of Pd and Cr contents from 0 to 30 at%. The CoPdCr alloy films were prepared on glass substrates at room temperature by co-sputtering of CoPd and Cr targets. The alloy films show the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the vicinity of 20 at% Pd and 10 at% Cr. The magnetic properties of typical composition, (Co80Pd20)86Cr14, are as follows: Ms=615 emu/cc, Hkeff=3.4 kOe, HC(⊥)=610 Oe. As the content of Pd increased, the measured lattice constants of hcp structure became larger and enhancement of c-axis perpendicular orientation was induced. It is indicated that this microstructural change caused the increase of perpendicular anisotropy field(Hkeff), and that Cr addition contributes to increase the perpendicular coercivity.