Highly oriented perpendicular Co-alloy media on Si(111) substrates

CoCrPt/Ti/Ag films with the easy axes of the hexagonal-closed-pack Co grains perpendicular to the film plane were epitaxially grown on HF-etched Si(111) single crystal substrates by rf sputter deposition. The orientation relationship was determined by x-ray pole figure measurements and transmission electron microscopy to be CoCrPt(0001)[10 (1) over bar 0]\\Ti(0001)[10 (1) over bar 0]\\Ag(111)[11 (2) over bar] x\\Si(111)[11<(2)over bar >]. The magnetic properties of the CoCrPt films were greatly improved by introducing these single crystal templates. Rocking curve measurement showed a greatly improved c-axis orientation of the cobalt alloy. Highly oriented, high coercivity properties for perpendicular recording have been obtained. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)51608-3].