Study of initial growth region of CO83Cr17 in Co83Cr17/ Co67Cr33/Cr trilayered films for longitudinal recording media

In order to improve magnetic characteristics of Co-Cr/Cr bilayered films us ed as longitudinal recording layers, very thin paramagnetic Co67Cr33 layers were deposited as the intermediate layer between Co83Cr17 and Cr layers. I t was clarified that the magnetic characteristics of the films depend signi ficantly on the thickness of the intermediate Co67Cr33 layer. Very thin 5 n m-thick paramagnetic Co67Cr33 intermediate layers were effective to increas e coercivity H-c parallel to of the Co83Cr17 layer deposited on the 200 nm- thick Cr underlayer. The trilayered films with 5 nm-thick Co67Cr33 intermed iate layer exhibited higher H-c parallel to and smaller switching field dis tribution. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.