EFFECT OF ION-BEAM MIXING CAN MICROSTRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF GD-CO MULTILAYER FILMS

This work investigated the effect of ion beam mixing on the magnetic a nd structural characteristics of Gd-Co multilayer films. Multilayer fi lms with bilayer periods (BP) from 10 to 300 Angstrom were mixed by 15 0 to 300 keV Ar+ ion doses of 10(16) cm(-2). The magnetizations of the as-deposited multilayers were dominated by oxidation, and by the asym metric redistribution of Co atoms. Ion beam mixing eliminated much of these effects, but the degree was strongly dependent on the layer thic kness. The small BP films were completely mixed, with amorphous nanopa rticles, but the large BP films contained small, microcrystals in an a morphous matrix due to incomplete mixing. The magnetic moment of ion b eam mixed films were strongly dependent on the ion beam energy and the layer thickness. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.