Abstract
Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) was first observed in thin films of cobalt-chromium alloys in 1974, and perpendicular magnetic recording was proposed in 1977. After less than ten years, a new technology for high-density magnetic recording is firmly established. This breakthrough of the science and technology of magnetic recording has been made possible mainly through the ingenuity and concerted efforts of researchers. The preparation, characterization, and application of the Co-Cr films featuring PMA have been extensively studied. This paper reviews the large number of reports on PMA films with emphasis on three areas: 1. processing of PMA films; 2. correlation of magnetic properties and microstructures of PMA films; and 3. state-of-art techniques for fabricating PMA films.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- PMA:
-
Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
- PMR:
-
Perpendicular magnetic recording
- B :
-
Magnetic induction
- H :
-
Magnetic field
- H c :
-
Coercivity
- H c,⊥ :
-
Perpendicular coercivity
- H d :
-
Demagnetizing field
- H k :
-
Anisotropy field
- H ⊥ :
-
Perpendicular anisotropy constant
- M r :
-
Remanent magnetization
- Ms :
-
Saturation magnetization
- P Ar :
-
Argon pressure
- T s :
-
Substrate temperature
- V b :
-
Substrate bias voltage
- α:
-
Incidence angle
- δθ50 :
-
Half-width dispersion angle in the rocking curve
- θc :
-
Curie temperature
- σ0 :
-
Internal stress
References
M. H. Kryder and A. B. Bortz, Phys. Today Dec (1984) 20.
S.-I. Iwasaki and K. Takemura, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-11 (1975) 1173.
S.-I. Iwasaki and Y. Nakamura, ibid. MAG-13 (1977) 1272.
A. H. Eltoukhy, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A4 (1986) 539.
J. K. Howard, ibid. A4 (1986) 1.
C. Bonnebat, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-23 (1987) 9.
Chih-Wen Chen, in “Magnetism and Metallurgy of Soft Magnetic Materials” (Dover Publications, New York, 1986).
T. Chen and P. L. Cavallotti, Appl. Phys. Lett. 41 (1982) 205.
M. Shiraki, Y. Wakii, T. Tokushima and H. Tsuya, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-21 (1985) 1465.
W. Andra, H. Danan and U. Ropke, ibid. MAG-20 (1984) 102.
C. Kooy and U. Enz, Philips Res. Rep. 15 (1960) 7.
J. Kaczer, J. Appl. Phys. 29 (1958) 569.
S. Honda, T. Yamakawa and T. Kusuda, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-21 (1985) 1468.
V. M. Fedosyuk, L. F. Ilyushenko, M. U. Sheleg and A. V. Boltushkin, Thin Solid Films 158 (1988) 7.
R. F. Soohoo, J. Appl. Phys. 55 (1984) 2211.
J. S. Nelson, C. Y. Fong and I. P. Batra, ibid. 63 (1988) 3049.
S.-I. Iwasaki, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-16 (1980) 71.
Ibid., Recent Magn. Electron. 10 (1983) 101.
R. I. Potter and I. A. Beardsley, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-16 (1980) 967.
I. B. Ortenburger and R. I. Potter, J. Appl. Phys. 50 (1979) 2393.
I. S. Beardsley, ibid. 53 (1982) 2582.
T. R. Koehler, ibid. 55 (1984) 2214.
P. Silvester and M. V. K. Chari, IEEE Trans. Power App. Syst. PAS-89 (1970) 1642.
T. Suzuki and S.-I. Iwasaki, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-18 (1982) 769.
I. A. Beardsley and C. Tsang, J. Appl. Phys. 55 (1984) 2208.
Y. Nakamura, S. Yamamoto and S.-I. Iwasaki, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-22 (1986) 376.
J. Hokkyo, I. Saito and S. Satake, ibid. MAG-16 (1980) 887.
H. N. Bertram, ibid. MAG-21 (1985) 1397.
N. H. Yeh, ibid. MAG-21 (1985) 1338.
K. Shinagawa, H. Fujiwara, F. Kugiya, T. Okuwaki and M. Kudo, J. Appl. Phys. 53 (1982) 2585.
S.-I. Iwasaki, Y. Nakamura and K. Ouchi, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-15 (1980) 1456.
V. B. Minuhin, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 388.
J.-G. Zhu and H. N. Bertram, ibid MAG-22 (1986) 379.
K. Fukuda, Y. Kitahara, F. Maruta and J. Ezaki, ibid. MAG-18 (1982) 1116.
C. W. Chen and C. S. Alford, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A6 (1988) 128.
S. I. Iwasaki and K. Ouchi, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-14 (1978) 849.
J. W. Smits and F. J. A. Den Broeder, Thin Solid Films 127 (1985) 1.
H. Tamai, K. Tagami and H. Hayashida, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-24 (1988) 2347.
J. C. Allan and R. D. Fisher, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 122.
T. Yamada, N. Tani, M. Ishikawa, Y. Ota, K. Nakamura and A. Itoh, ibid. MAG-21 (1985) 1429.
K. Kobayashi and G. Ishida, J. Appl. Phys. 52 (1981) 2453.
J. Tada, M. Akihiro, K. Takei, T. Satoh and T. Suzuki, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-22 (1986) 343.
T. Suzuki and N. Yoshida, J. Appl. Phys. 63 (1989) 2929.
H. Awano and H. Masuya, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-23 (1987) 2067.
K. Inoue, M. Yoshikiyo and S. Yoshii, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 3651.
S.-I. Iwasaki, K. Ouchi and N. Honda, ibid. MAG-16 (1980) 1111.
J. A. Thompson and D. A. Stevenson, J. Appl. Phys. 61 (1987) 3155.
P. E. Carcia, ibid. 63 (1988) 5066.
M. Ohkoshi, K. Tamari, S. Honda and T. Kusuda, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-20 (1984) 788.
F. Kugiya, M. Suzuki, F. Kanno, Y. Yoshida, O. Kitakami, H. Fujiwara and D. E. Speliotis, ibid. MAG-24 (1988) 2908.
J. Desserre and D. Jeanniot, ibid MAG-19 (1983) 1647.
P. Bernstein and F. Rio, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 143.
T. Mizoguchi, N. Akutsu and M. Akimitsu, J. Appl. Phys. 61 (1987) 3158.
N. Akutsu, M. Akimitsu and T. Mizoguchi, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-22 (1986) 1170.
A. Morisako, M. Matsumoto and M. Naoe, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 1146.
C. W. Chen and C. S. Alford, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Report UCID-20601 (1985).
J. W. Smits, S. B. Luitjens, F. J. A. Den Broeder and A. G. Dirks, J. Magn. Magn. Mat. 31–34 (1983) 920.
J. A. Thompson and P. B. Mee, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-20 (1984) 785.
T. M. Coughlin, J. H. Judy and E. R. Wuori, ibid. MAG-17 (1981) 3169.
T. Wielinga and J. C. Lodder, ibid. MAG-17 (1981) 3178.
J. C. Lodder, T. Wielinga and J. Worst, Thin Solid Films 101 (1983) 61.
H. Maeda, J. Appl. Phys. 54 (1983) 2429.
J. A. Thornton, in “Deposition Technologies for Films and Coating,” edited by R. F. Bunshah (Noyes Publications, New York, 1982).
S. Kadokura, T. Tomie and M. Naoe, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-17 (1981) 3175.
K. Roll, R. Kukla, M. Mayr and W. D. Munz, ibid. MAG-20 (1984) 63.
S.-I. Iwasaki, K. Ouchi, K. Saiki and M. Kimura, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 1158.
D. Ravipati, J. M. Sivertsen and J. H. Judy, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 1152.
M. Kume, D. Kishimoto, Y. Nakatsuka and Y. Abe, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 1161.
M. Mayr, K. Kastner, R. Kukla and R. Ludwig, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 131.
Y. Niimura, S. Nakagawa and M. Naoe, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 2043.
T. M. Coughlin, E. R. Wuori and J. H. Judy, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. 20 (1982) 171.
R. Kukla, J. Kieser and M. Mayr, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-23 (1987) 137.
M. Ohkoshi and T. Kusuda, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A5 (1987) 2859.
Y. Suzuki, K. Takiguchi, M. Yoshitake, T. Yotsuya and S. Ogawa, ibid. A5 (1987) 1870.
J. A. Thompson and D. A. Stevenson, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-21 (1985) 1441.
Y. Nakatsuka, H. Tanaka, T. Kyozumi and Y. Abe, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 1002.
N. Honda and H. Uchiyama, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 3657.
H. R. Kaufmann, J. Vac. Sci. Tech, 15 (1978) 272.
H. S. Gill and M. P. Rosenblum, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-19 (1983) 1044.
W. T. Maloney and C. D. Lustig, ibid. MAG-20 (1984) 521.
R. D. Fisher, V. S. Au-Yeung and B. B. Sabo, ibid. MAG-20 (1984) 806.
S. Kadokura and M. Naoe, ibid. MAG-18 (1982) 1113.
R. Ludwig, K. Kastner, R. Kukla and M. Mayr, in “Digest of International Conf. on Magnetic Recording Media CMD2” (1986).
K. Nakamura, T. Yamada, Y. Ohta and A. Itoh, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-18 (1982) 1080.
M. Ohkoshi, R. Ohkata, K. Inoue, S. Honda and T. Kusuda, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 19 (1980) 1807.
E. Krikorian and R. J. Sneed, J. Appl. Phys. 37 (1966) 3674.
H. Maeda, ibid. 54 (1983) 2429.
T. Chen, G. B. Charlan and T. Yamashita, ibid. 54 (1983) 5103.
D. W. Hoffman and J. A. Thornton, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. 17 (1980) 380.
S. Kim, D. J. Henderson and P. Chandhari, Thin Solid Films 47 (1977) 155.
A. Feuerstein and M. Mayr, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-20 (1984) 51.
R. Sugita, T. Kunieda and F. Kobayashi, ibid. MAG-17 (1981) 3172.
R. Sugita and K. Kobayashi, ibid. MAG-18 (1982) 1818.
R. Sugita, ibid. MAG-20 (1984) 687.
R. Sugita, T. Nambu and T. Sakamoto, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 2449.
K. Honda, H. Sugita and Y. Sakamoto, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 2040.
K. Yoshida, K. Imagawa, Y. Honda, M. Futomoto and H. Daimon, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 27 (1988) 1240.
C. F. Brucker, M. M. Romach and W. E. Yetter, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-24 (1988) 2359.
S. Honda and J. Storer, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 337.
F. A. Pronk and J. C. Lodder, ibid. MAG-24 (1988) 1744.
T. Osaka, N. Kasai, I. Koiwa, F. Goto and Y. Suganuma, J. Electrochem. Soc. 130 (1983) 568.
T. Osaka, I. Koiwa, M. Toda, T. Sakuma, Y. Yamazaki, T. Namikawa and F. Goto, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-22 (1986) 1149.
I. Koiwa, H. Matsubara, T. Osaka, Y. Yamazaki and T. Namikawa, J. Electrochem. Soc. 133 (1986) 667.
I. Koiwa, Y. Okabe, H. Matsubara, T. Osaka and F. Goto, J. Magn. Soc. Jpn. 58 (1985) 414.
K. Ito, O. Takano and H. Matsuda, in Asst. 66th Conference of the Metal Finish Society, Japan, 1980, p. 8.
T. Chen and P. L. Cavallotti, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-18 (1982) 1125.
H. Hoffmann, L. Kochanowsky, H. Mandl, K. Kastner, M. Mayr, W. D. Munz and K. Roll, ibid. MAG-21 (1985) 1432.
S. Kawai and R. Ueda, J. Electrochem. Soc. 122 (1975) 32.
N. Tsuya, T. Tokushima, M. Shiraki, Y. Wakui, T. Saito, H. Nakamura, S. Hayano, A. Furugori and M. Tanaka, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-22 (1986) 1140.
N. Tsuya, T. Tokushima, M. Shiraki, Y. Wakui, Y. Saito, H. Nakamura and Y. Katsumata, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 53.
N. Tsuya, T. Tokushima, M. Shiraki and Y. Umehara, ibid. MAG-24 (1988) 1790.
M. Ohkoshi, S. Oda and T. Kusuda, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 2248.
C. Allibert, C. Bernard, N. Valignat and M. Dombre, J. Less Common Metals 59 (1978) 211.
W. G. Moffatt, in “The Handbook of Binary Phase Diagrams,” Vol. 2 (General Electric Co., Schenectady, 1981).
J. W. Smits, S. B. Luitjens and F. J. A. Den Broeder, J. Appl. Phys. 55 (1984) 2260.
M. Hansen, in “Constitution of Binary Alloys” (McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1958) p. 467.
“Metals Handbook” Vol. 8, 8th Edn edited by T. Lyman (American Society for Metals, Metals Park, 1973) p. 287.
Y. Matsunaga, Kinzoku-No-Kenkyu 8 (1931) 549.
H. Awano and T. Sato, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 27 (1988), L880.
H. Masuya and H. Awano, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-23 (1987) 2064.
R. D. Fisher, V. S. Au-Yeung and B. B. Sabo, ibid. MAG-20 (1984) 806.
P. J. Grundy and M. Ali, J. Magn. Mater. 40 (1983) 154.
T. Maro, O. Kitakami, and H. Fujiwara, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 27 (1988) L687.
Y. Maeda and M. Asahi, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-23 (1987) 2061.
Y. Maeda and M. Takahashi, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 28 (1989) L-248.
W. Andra and H. Danan, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-23 (1987) 62.
J.-W. Lee, B. G. Demczyk, K. R. Mountfield and D. E. Laughlin, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 2455.
S. Honda and J. Storer, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 337.
T. Kusuda, S. Honda and M. Ohkoshi, J. Appl. Phys. 53 (1982) 2338.
S. Yasugi, S. Honda, M. Ohkoshi and T. Kasuda, ibid. 52 (1981) 2298.
J.-W. Lee, B. G. Demczyk, K. R. Mountfield and D. E. Laughlin, ibid. 61 (1987) 3813.
R. J. Artley, K. Ouchi and S.-I. Iwasaki, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-24 (1988) 2335.
D. A. Glocker, W. E. Yetter and J.-S. Gau, ibid. MAG-22 (1986) 331.
S. Yoichi, H. Kazuyoshi, N. Taro, S. Ryuji and T. Miho, ibid. MAG-23 (1987) 3654.
T. Spalvins and W. A. Brainard, J. Vac. Sci. Tech. 11 (1974) 1186.
T. Spalvins, Thin Solid Films 64 (1979) 143.
J. W. Pattern, ibid. 63 (1979) 121.
K. H. Guenther, Appl. Optics 20 (1981) 1034.
R. Sugita, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-20 (1984) 687.
J. W. Nieuwenthuizen and H. B. Haastra, Philips Tech. Rev. 27 (1966) 87.
A. G. Dirks and H. J. Leamy, Thin Solid Films 47 (1977) 219.
E. M. Simpson and J. H. Judy, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-22 (1986) 1167.
M. Matsuoka, Y. Hoshino, M. Naoe and S. Yamanaka, in Proceedings of the Conference IECE Japan S15-6 (1983) p. 254.
Y. Tanaka, H. Ito, T. Sonoda and R. Nishikawa, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-23 (1987) 2046.
A. Van Der Drift, Philips Res. Rep. 22 (1967) 267.
Y. Niimura, S. Nakagawa and M. Naoe, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-22 (1986) 1164.
H. S. Gill and M. P. Rosenblum, ibid. MAG-19 (1983) 1644.
H. S. Gill and T. Yamashita, ibid. MAG-20 (1984) 776.
T. Tomie, M. Ogusawara, Y. Kato and I. Ouchi, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 27 (1988) 1890.
A. K. Jhingan, R. R. Dubin and L. F. Herte, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-20 (1984) 779.
M. Futamoto, Y. Honda, H. Kakibayashi and K. Yoshida, ibid. MAG-21 (1985) 1426.
C. P. G. Schrauwen, J. P. C. Bernards, R. W. De Bie, G. J. P. Van Engelen, H. H. Stel, V. Zieren and S. B. Luitjens, ibid. MAG-24 (1988) 1901.
Y. Uesaka, S. Hishiyama and H. Fuziwara, in Proceedings of the 1982 Sendai Symposium, Tokoku University, Japan, 1982.
J. A. Aboaf, J. Electrochem. Soc. 116 (1969) 1736.
D. W. Hoffman and J. A. Thornton, Thin Solid Films 40 (1977) 355.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, C.W. Fabrication and characterization of thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for high-density magnetic recording. J Mater Sci 26, 1705–1728 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00543593
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00543593