STRUCTURE-PROPERTY CORRELATIONS IN PT CO MULTILAYERS FOR MAGNETOOPTICRECORDING/

A series of Pt/Co (111)-oriented multilayer thin films were sputter-de posited under a number of deposition conditions to promote differences in the structure of the films. The defect density, grain boundary str ucture, layering and quality of texture were found to depend on the ch oice of sputtering pressure and gas, namely, Ar, Ar/Xe, or Xe. These d ifferences were correlated to the magnetic and magneto-optic propertie s of the films. Of major interest were the effects of microstructure o n the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and magnetic coercivity. It is found that the observed coercivity correlates well with the grain bou ndary structure. The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy on the other ha nd is better correlated with the quality of the layering. The roles of the stacking defect density, quality of the (111) texture, and the ef fects of grain shape on the perpendicular anisotropy are discussed as well.