Identifier

etd-03172005-000448

Degree

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Co-based alloy thin films have attracted a lot of interest, due to their excellent magnetic properties, that is essential in the field of magnetic recording media. Alloying Co with metals like Pt changes some of its intrinsic magnetic properties such as increasing the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constants of the alloy. Co-Pt thin films and multilayers are more suitable for ultra high-density magnetic recording media because they have high-magnetic anisotropy, chemical stability, excellent coercivity and resistance to corrosion. In the present study, Co-Pt alloy and Pt/Co multilayered films were deposited on Si substrate using dual electron beam co-evaporation. The Co-Pt alloy thin films are vacuum-sealed and annealed for 2 hours at 300°C and 400°C to study the annealing effects on structural and magnetic properties. All the films were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, electron microprobe, and profilometry. In Co-Pt alloy films, Co and Pt were present in the atomic ratio of 3:1. A mixture of hexagonal close packed and face centered cubic structure Co3Pt was present in both as-deposited and annealed films. The magnetic measurements were conducted at 300°K and 10°K in both perpendicular and parallel orientations in physical property measurement system (PPMS) and magnetic property measurement system (MPMS). The results from analytical and characterization techniques showed the addition of Pt to Co increased the coercivity of the films. Annealing enhanced the grain size and coercivity of the as-deposited Co3Pt film. However, the presence of ε-Co decreased the coercivity of the Co-Pt film annealed at 400°C. Asymmetry in the hysterisis loops was observed for all films at 10°K. The antiferromagnetic CoO and ferromagnetic Co and Co3Pt undergo exchange coupling at the interface and give rise to exchange anisotropy leading to the shift in the hysterisis loop. This property of the Co-Pt alloy thin film system may find its application in the magnetic sensor systems, like spin valve and magnetoresistance devices.

Date

2005

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

E.I.Meletis

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.2220

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