Highly coercive electrodeposited FePt films by postannealing in hydrogen

Abstract

The properties of electrodeposited films subsequently annealed in H2 are reported and compared with those of vacuum-annealed samples. Annealing in hydrogen reduces the oxygen content incorporated during electrodeposition, resulting in significantly higher magnetization values. Phase formation is enhanced by hydrogen and L10 ordering starts at temperatures as low as 350°C. In addition, grain growth is hindered. These effects contribute to the high coercivity of 1.1T achieved after annealing at 600°C in H2.