Growth rate effects in soft CoFe films

• Published in: IEEE transactions on magnetics Vol. 41; no. 10; pp. 3253 - 3255
• Main Authors: Vopsaroiu, M., O'Grady, K., Georgieva, M.T., Grundy, P.J., Thwaites, M.J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.10.2005; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Coercive force; Control of; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Grain size; grain size effects; high moment soft CoFe films; high target utilization sputtering technology (HiTUS); Iron; Magnetic films; Magnetic materials; Magnetic properties; Magnetism; Materials science; Other topics in materials science; Physics; Plasmas; Radio frequency; Saturation magnetization; Sputtering; Grain size; grain size effects; Control of Ms and Hc in CoFe films; Growth; high target utilization sputtering technology (HiTUS); high moment soft CoFe films; Size effect; Microstructure; Velocity; Sputtering; Magnetic properties
• ISSN: 0018-9464; 1941-0069
• DOI: 10.1109/TMAG.2005.854668

We report on growth rate effects in sputter-deposited CoFe films prepared using high target utilization sputtering technology (HiTUS). We find that the grain structure of these polycrystalline films is closely related to the growth rate. By changing the growth rate, samples were prepared with different grain structure, which in turn had the effect of changing the magnetic properties of the films. We demonstrate control of the coercivity, which varied by a factor of more than ten. This was achieved via grain size control in CoFe films of thickness 20 nm. Furthermore, by employing a two-step sputtering process, in which two extreme growth rates are used sequentially, we were able to tune the saturation magnetization.