Preparation of short-period Fe-N magnetic multilayers using an atomic nitrogen beam

Author

Telling, N.D. ; Bonder, M.J. ; Jones, G.A. ; Faunce, C.A. ; Grundy, P.J. ; Lord, D.G. ; Joyce, D.E.

Author_Institution

Joule Phys. Lab., Salford Univ., UK

Volume

37

Issue

4

fYear

2001

fDate

7/1/2001 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2308

Lastpage

2310

Abstract

Magnetic multilayers containing Fe-N layers with bilayer periods of between ~15-84 Å and sharp interfaces, are successfully grown using an atomic (free radical) nitrogen beam. The phase composition and microstructure is found to be a function of the initial Fe layer thickness prior to nitrogenation. Generally, higher N content phases are found as the initial Fe layer is reduced. Small grains (~10 nm) are observed in multilayers containing α-Fe and γ-Fe₄N phases. In these films, a perpendicular anisotropy is found for a certain thickness of the Fe layers. A stripe domain structure associated with this anisotropy is observed. The origin of this anisotropy may be induced stress caused by lattice mismatch between layers and/or lattice dilation due to N incorporation

Keywords

iron compounds; magnetic domains; magnetic multilayers; perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; perpendicular magnetic recording; sputter deposition; 10 nm; FeN; atomic nitrogen beam; bilayer periods; grains; lattice dilation; lattice mismatch; layer thickness; perpendicular anisotropy; phase composition; short-period Fe-N magnetic multilayers; stripe domain structure; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Atomic beams; Atomic layer deposition; Atomic measurements; Iron; Lattices; Magnetic multilayers; Microstructure; Nitrogen; Nonhomogeneous media;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.951156

Filename

951156