Structural and magnetic properties of FePt:SiO2 granular thin films

Abstract

Nanocomposite FePt:SiO2 films have been fabricated by annealing the as-deposited FePt/SiO2 multilayers at temperatures from 450 to 650 °C. These films consist of high-anisotropy tetragonal L10 FePt particles embedded in a SiO2 matrix. The structural and magnetic properties of these films were investigated. We have found that coercivity and grain size are highly dependent on the annealing temperature and SiO2 concentration. Films with coercivities in the range from 2 to 8 kOe and grain sizes of 10 nm or less were obtained. These films have considerable potential as high-density magnetic recording media.