MAGNETIC AND STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF Co-Zr/Pd MULTILAYERS

Abstract

Co-Zr/Pd multilayers were prepared by a radio frequency sputtering method.The thickness of the Co-Zr magnetic layers was fixed at 1.8nm,and the thickness of Pd layers was changed from 0.5 to 6nm.The oscillation of saturation magnetization with a period of about 1nm was obtained as the thickness of Pd layers increased.This can be attributed to the oscillation of the polarization of Pd layers.X-ray diffraction showed that magnetic alloy Co-Zr layers were in a crystalline state when the Pd layers were thicker than 1.3nm though a thick Co-Zr single layer was in an amorphous state.The superlattice peaks in the high angle X-ray diffraction patterns showed that there existed a coherent growth between the Co-Zr layers and Pd layers when the Pd layers were thicker than 1.3nm.Moreover,as the thickness of the Pd layers increased,periodically oscillatory phenomena were found both in the crystalline grain size perpendicular to the film plane and in the interplanar distance of the fcc(111) plane.These phenomena may be related to the oscillatory interlayer coupling between Co-Zr magnetic layers through Pd layers.