(Co+Si)/Pd films with a high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.

Abstract

Co/Pd layered films with Si added to the Co layers have been found to show a high perpendicular anisotropy with K\ensuremath{\approxeq}2.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{5}$ J ${\mathrm{m}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$, good coercivity, high coercivity ratio, and high remanence ratio. Samples with thin (Co+Si) layers contain uniform, narrow stripe domains. The microstructure consists of a large-scale polycrystalline structure, a fine-scale structure that may be amorphous, and a banded structure in which CoSi-rich and ${\mathrm{CoSi}}_{2}$-rich regions are separated, in addition to regions of Co-Pd alloy and Pd. Clear interfaces between the (Co+Si) and the Pd layers were not found.