Title :
Natural oxide formation on cobalt investigated with the magneto-optical Kerr effect
Author :
Rellinghaus, B. ; DeAvila, S. Fernandez ; Armelles, G. ; Beyers, R. ; Kellock, A. ; Weller, D.
Author_Institution :
IBM Res. Div., Almaden Res. Center, San Jose, CA, USA
fDate :
9/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We have studied the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) of air-annealed Co thin films. Structural investigations reveal the formation of a double layered Co oxide (fcc Co3O4)/Co metal structure. MOKE spectra, measured in the photon energy range 0.8⩽Eph⩽5.5 eV, show characteristic changes as a function of the annealing time and temperature. In particular, we observe the occurrence of resonance type enhancements with peak Kerr rotations of θK=-5.5 deg. The experimental spectra can be quantitatively reproduced using bilayer optical stack calculations
Keywords :
Kerr magneto-optical effect; annealing; cobalt; ferromagnetic materials; magnetic hysteresis; magnetic multilayers; oxidation; visible spectra; 0.8 to 5.5 eV; Co3O4-Co; Co3O4/Co metal structure; MOKE spectra; air-annealed Co thin films; annealing time; bilayer optical stack calculations; double layered Co oxide; fcc Co3O4; magneto-optical Kerr effect; natural oxide formation; peak Kerr rotations; photon energy range; resonance type enhancements; structural investigations; temperature; Annealing; Cobalt; Energy measurement; Kerr effect; Magnetooptic effects; Nonlinear optics; Resonance; Temperature distribution; Time measurement; Transistors;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
