Magnetic anisotropy and layer-selective magnetometry of Cu/Co/Ni/Cu/Si (001)

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) up to 6.15 +/- 1.25 A Co thickness is found for ferromagnetically coupled epitaxial Co/60 Angstrom Ni/Cu/Si(00 1)structures. Polarized neutron reflection measurements on a Cu/9 ACo/Ni/Cu (001) structure yield almost bulk like magnetic moments at room-temperature of 1.70 It 0.20 mu(B) and 0.57 +/- 0.05 mu(B), for Co and Ni, respectively . Magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements show that the uniaxial Co volume a nisotropy is entirely attributed to the Co shape anisotropy due to an absen ce of strain in the Co film. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.