MAGNETOELASTIC EFFECT IN CO/PD MULTILAYER FILMS

In situ measurements of the stress are reported, and the magnetoelastic contribution to the magnetic anisotropy is clarified, in Co/Pd multilayer films prepared by dc magnetron sputtering. The stress was varied between 2.36×1010 and 4.22×1010 dyn/cm2 in the Co sublayer of the film with an abrupt drop of the stress in the Co sublayer thicker than about 5 Å. This abrupt change seems to be related with a structural transition of a coherent-to-incoherent matching at the interface with thickening the sublayer. The stress-induced anisotropy of the samples having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is found to be 40%-80%, compared to Néel's surface anisotropy.