Stacking faults and their effect on magnetocrystalline anisotropy in Co and Co-alloy thin films

Stacking faults in (10 (1) over bar0) unicrystal Co and Co-alloy thin films have been analyzed by the electron diffraction technique. As predicted no diffraction contrast of stacking faults could be observed when the beam is parallel to the [10 (1) over bar0] direction. However, both by plan-view TE M observation and electron diffraction along the [11 (2) over bar0] directi on reveal that the stacking fault density in biased pure Co (10 (1) over ba r0) thin films is much lower than that in unbiased ones. The addition of Cr in Co films significantly reduces stacking fault density whereas the addit ion of 8at% Pt leads to a considerable increase in stacking fault density. Our results show that stacking faults in Co thin films significantly, and n egatively, affect the anisotropy energy density and its temperature depende nce.