Control of the axis of chemical ordering and magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial FePt films

Abstract

Growth of epitaxial films of the L10 phase of FePt, with the tetragonal c axis along either the film normal or in-plane, is described. Films were grown by coevaporation of Fe and Pt, under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, onto a seed film of Pt grown on MgO or SrTiO3 substrates. The perpendicular or in-plane orientation of the c axis was controlled by selecting the (001) or (110) substrate plane, respectively. Nearly complete chemical ordering was achieved for growth at 500 °C for both orientations. Magnetic and magneto-optical characterization of these films confirmed the huge magnetic anisotropy expected for this phase. In the most highly ordered films, anisotropy fields in excess of 120 kOe were measured.