CoPt patterned media in anodized aluminum oxide templates

Patterned recording media consisting of a vertically aligned array of L1(0) phase CoPt nanowires embedded in a thin anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) template on silicon has been prepared. A sputter deposited thin film of aluminum on silicon was anodized and a CoPt magnetic alloy was electrodeposited into the pores of the AAO. The vertically aligned arrays of CoPt nanowires were about similar to 100 nm tall with similar to 20 nm average diameter. Since the CoPt nanowire array is laterally constrained by the surrounding AAO, the nanowire diameter is maintained without coarsening during the L1(0) phase conversion heat treatment at 700 degrees C. After annealing and conversion to the L1(0) phase, the similar to 20 nm CoPt nanowires exhibit a large coercivity of similar to 8 kOe measured in the in-plane and perpendicular directions. (C) 2006 American Institute of Physics.