Improvement Of Magnetic Property Of L1(0)-Fept Film By Fept/Au Multilayer Structure

We have prepared L1(0)-FePt films by sputtering FePt/Au mutilayers on glass substrates followed by a vacuum annealing process. The magnetic measurement and x-ray diffraction indicate that the ordering temperature of the FePt films is reduced to 350 degrees C and the coercivity (H-C) is greatly enhanced by using the FePt/Au multilayer structure. The interface energy and the stress energy due to the misfit between FePt and Au crystal lattices provide extra driving force to the ordering process of FePt films. Additionally, partial Au atoms are supposed to diffuse to the FePt grain boundaries during annealing, which consequently pins the magnetic domain wall and leads to the high H-C. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.