Enhanced coercivity by substrate bias configuration in Co-based alloy thin film

Using the substrate bias configuration in a single sputtering process, Go-based alloy triple-layer magnetic thin films were deposited. A coercivity increase was obtained in both room-temperature-deposited and high-temperature-deposited (300 degreesC) films, and the coercivity was optimized in a NB-B-NB (NB: no bias and B: bias applied in sputtering) type of bias configuration. Dislocation and voids introduced by bias sputtering and the diffusion at the grain boundary and interfaces were proposed to explain the improvement of coercivity. The bias-configured sputtering triple-magnetic-layer structure was suggested as a new approach to improve the magnetic properties, which maintain the advantage of multi-magnetic-layer media. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.