Effect of Ni Addition on Magnetic and Recording Properties of Continuously Vacuum-Deposited Co-Cr Films

We investigated the effect of the addition of Ni to continuously vacuum deposited Co-Cr films on magnetic characteristics, crystal structure, microstructure and reproduced voltage. The following results were obtained. (1) The addition of 40 wt% or less Ni had the effect of increasing the perpendicular Hc. In Co-Cr-Ni films which contain approximately 20 wt% Ni, the highest perpendicular Hc was obtained. In other words, it is possible to lower the temperature by approximately 50°C with adding 20 wt% Ni. (3) With increase in Ni content, the Hkeff decreases monotonically and the fcc phase increases. The films which contain 30 wt% Ni achieve high reproduced voltage in spite of the substantial intermixing of the fcc phase. Consequently, films with the perfect hep structure are not necessary in order to achieve high reproduced voltage.