Magnetic and crystallographic properties of CoCrPt thin films formed on Cr–Ti single crystalline underlayers

Abstract

By using an epitaxial growth technique, Co73Cr15Pt12(112̄0) bi-crystalline thin films formed on Cr–Tix(001)[x=0–15 at. %] single crystalline underlayers were prepared to investigate the relationship between the magnetic properties and the lattice distortion in the magnetic layer. X-ray diffraction measurement shows that the best lattice matching between the c axis of the CoCrPt and the [110] direction of the Cr–Ti underlayer is realized and the CoCrPt layer shows an ideal symmetrical hcp. structure when the Ti concentration is 10 at. %, where the maximum magneto-crystalline anisotropy energy and coercivity values are observed. Distortion in the hcp. CoCrPt magnetic crystal grains decreases the uniaxial magneto-crystalline anisotropy energy, thus lowering the attainable medium coercivity.