Highly ordered Co/Pt superlattice thin films prepared using ultrathin seed layers

We have prepared potentially low cost and high-performance magneto-optical (MO) disks based on cobalt/platinum (Co/Pt) superlattices and ultrathin seed layers. Extremely small thickness, such as less than 1 nm, of these seed layers enhances coercivity, squareness of the Kerr loop, perpendicular anisotropy and general performance of the disk. Successful manufacturing of this medium requires that Co/Pt should be deposited at a significantly high rate and a short cycle time. The crystalline morphology of the samples deposited with varying sputtering conditions was studied using both low-angle X-ray specular reflectivity (XSR) at (000) and high-angle theta/2 theta X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that magnetic properties are correlated with the microstructure of the films.