ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Highly c-axis oriented Co95Cr5 films with perpendicular anisotropy were grown epitaxially on Si (111), using an Ag seed layer, by physical vapor deposition. Films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction, and Lorentz microscopy in a TEM. The following epitaxial relationship was confirmed: (111)Si(parallel)(111)Ag(parallel)(0001)CoCr;[2¯20]Si(parallel)[2¯20]Ag(parallel)[1¯100]CoCr. Magnetic domain structures of these films were observed as a function of thickness; t, in the range, 200 Å〈t〈700 Å using a wedge-shaped sample, and temperature-dependent measurements were carried out by in situ resistance heating. Thickness was measured locally by electron energy loss spectroscopy. At room temperature, below a critical thickness, tc(approximate)300 Å, the magnetization was found to be effectively in-plane of the film, and above tc a regular, stripe-like domain pattern with a significant, alternating in sign, perpendicular component was observed. The spin reorientation transitions of the stripe domains to the in-plane magnetization were studied dynamically by observing the domains as a function of temperature by in situ heating up to 350 °C. The critical transition thickness, tc, which is a function of Ku and magnetostatic energy, was found to increase with increasing temperature. The stripe-domain period, L observed at room temperature was found to increase gradually with thickness; L=90 nm at t=300 Å, and L=110 nm at t=700 Å. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.372711
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