AR-SPUTTERED PT/CO MULTILAYERS WITH LARGE ANISOTROPY ENERGY AND COERCIVITY

We have discovered a process for Ar-sputtering Pt/Co multilayers, a candidate for a high density magneto-optical recording medium, so that they have large anisotropy energy (K(eff)similar to 1.2x10(7) erg/cm(3)-Co) and large coercivity (H-c similar to 3.5 kOe) simultaneously. To achieve these improved properties, the multilayers were sputtered on granular Pt underlayers, made by etching thin Pt layers, initially 20-40 Angstrom thick. Plan-view transmission electron microscopy revealed that the microscostructure of Pt/Co multilayers, grown on etched-Pt underlayers, was also granular with excellent (111)-fcc texture. Both K-eff and Hc were optimized, when the (111)-fcc texture was a maximum.