CoPt/Ag nanocomposites with (001) texture

Abstract

CoPt/Ag nanocomposites with the tetragonal (L10) structure have been prepared by magnetron sputtering. The dependence of texture on film thickness, bilayer thickness, CoPt volume fraction, and annealing conditions is investigated. Films with a thickness below 15 nm consist of islands with (001) texture while as the thickness increases, the islands coalesce into a continuous film and the (111) texture appears. Microstrain is minimized in the range of film thickness where the (001) texturing is optimum indicating that strain energy provides the driving force of (001) growth texturing. The (001) texture improves with CoPt volume fraction for all annealing times but disappears above 95 vol % indicating that the existence of the Ag plays an important role in the development of the (001) texture.