PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION OF GRANULAR CO-AG THIN-FILMS

An investigation into the microstructural properties of CoxAg1-x films , grown by pulsed laser deposition, as a function of deposition and po st-deposition annealing temperature is reported. Surface morphology an d microstructure were investigated by XPS, SEM and TEM measurements. M agnetic measurements were used to gain further information on particle size distributions through the analysis of the temperature dependence of the irreversible magnetization, Depending on cobalt content, depos ition and post-deposition annealing temperature, the maximum of the co balt grains diameter distribution was estimated to be in the range 26 nm, (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.