Effects of layer thickness on orientation distribution and magnetic properties of CoCrTa/Cr films

Authors

Z.S. Shan, HMT Technology Corporation, 1055 Page Avenue, Fremont, California 94538
H. Zeng, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
C.X. Zhu, HMT Technology Corporation, 1055 Page Avenue, Fremont, California 94538
M. Azarisooreh, HMT Technology Corporation, 1055 Page Avenue, Fremont, California 94538
K. Honardoost, HMT Technology Corporation, 1055 Page Avenue, Fremont, California 94538

Date of this Version

April 1999

Comments

Published by American Institute of Physics. J. Applied Physics 85, 4310 (1999). ©1999 American Institute of Physics. Permission to use. http://jap.aip.org/jap/.

Abstract

Evolution of orientation distribution of Co(110) crystal planes was determined by x-ray rocking curves. It has been found that: (i) The full-width at half maximum W of the Co(110) rocking curve decreases with both increasing Cr underlayer thickness d_cr, and increasing CoCrTa magnetic layer thickness d_co, especially in the thin layer regime. (ii) For the thin d_coregime, the interlayer diffusion between the Cr underlayer and the magnetic layer affects the rocking curves and magnetic properties significantly. (iii) Film magnetic properties, e.g., a significant jump in coercivity with increasing magnetic layer thickness in the thin d_co regime may be related in part to the evolution of the Co(110) orientation distribution.