Relationship between surface energy and preferred orientation of CoCr alloy magnetic thin films deposited on C and TiCr underlayers

The relationship between crystallographic grain orientation and the three k inds of surface energy components; dispersion, polar, and hydrogen bonding components, in Co73Cr18Pt6Ta3 perpendicular magnetic recording media with a n amorphous C or a Ti90Cr10 underlayer was discussed. Each surface energy c omponent of the thin film was calculated from an extended Fowkes theory by measuring the contact angle of a test liquid on the thin film. The experime ntal results revealed that the polar component of surface energy of the Co7 3Cr18Pt6Ta3 magnetization film with the C underlayer affected greatly the C o [001] preferred orientation of the Co73Cr18Pt6Ta3 magnetization film, whi le the surface energy of the Co73Cr18Pt6Ta3 magnetic layer with the Ti90Cr1 0 underlayer had little influence on the distribution of it. (C) 2001 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.