Magnetic properties of cluster/thin-film laminated hybrids of FePt and FeCo alloys

Abstract

Both FePt cluster/FeCo film and FeCo cluster/FePt film laminated hybrids have been prepared by combination of a plasma-gascluster- deposition and a helicon-plasma sputter-deposition and studied by X-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements. In FePt cluster/ FeCo film laminated hybrids, M S increases, while H C and BH MAX monotonically decrease with the FeCo film thickness. In FeCo cluster/FePt film laminated hybrids, M S, H C and BH MAX increase with the FeCo cluster layer thickness in comparison with those of simple FePt films. However, the remarkable improvement of their hard magnetic properties cannot be attained in these laminated hybrids owing to both the low packing density of FeCo clusters and the difficulty in the diffusion-control of Fe and Co atoms from FeCo to FePt layers. © 2012 The Japan Institute of Metals.