Magnetic properties of Co-rich Co-Pt thin films electrodeposited on a Ru underlayer

Co-rich Co-Pt films were grown by electrodeposition from an amino-citrate based electrolyte on Si(011)/Cu(111)/Ru(0001) templates. The Ru(0001) surface provides an interface which induces the growth of an oriented hexagonal phase, thereby yielding hard magnetic properties and perpendicular anisotropy in films as thin as 10 nm. Increase in film thickness only marginally compromises the hard magnetic properties probably due to the limited coarsening of the microstructure, oriented columnar growth, and magnetic grain isolation. The deposition current density plays an important role in optimizing microstructure and hard magnetic properties. Perpendicular squareness close to 1 and coercivities as high as 4.5 kOe were obtained in thin as-deposited Co-Pt films. (C) 2006 American Institute of Physics.