Electrodeposition of magnetic thin films of cobalt on silicon

To understand the electrodeposition of Co on Si, sulphate electrolytes containing two different Co ion concentrations were tested. Thin films with uniform thickness, ranging from 10 to 700 nm, low surface roughness, compact and metallic appearance were obtained for Co concentrations of 26 and 104 mM, respectively. Transverse MOKE measurements showed in-plane magnetization with the magnitude of the coercive field being dependent on the thickness of the deposited layers. VSM measurements with the applied field perpendicular to the surface allowed the observation of an out-of-plane remanent magnetization. These properties are of considerable interest for technological applications. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.