LATTICE IMAGING OF AG-CO THIN-FILMS USING ENERGY-FILTERED TEM

The structure of Ag65Co35 thin films is characterized using energy-fil tered high resolution TEM and electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI). Co sputtered Ag-Co films were prepared according to protocols that produc ed maximum giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in thicker films with the sam e composition. Elemental maps produced using ESI reveal 50 nm diameter Ag particles embedded in a granular alloy matrix. Cobalt maps of thes e films show uniform cobalt distribution at the spatial resolution of the technique (about 2 nm), indicating that distinct cobalt particles, if they exist, are very small. Energy-filtered lattice imaging and di gital image processing were used to search for such particles, but non e were found.