(001) textured CoPt-Ag nanocomposite films for high-density perpendicular magnetic recording

Abstract CoPt/Ag nanocomposite films were prepared by magnetron sputtering. The dependence of texture and magnetic properties on film thickness, Ag atomic fraction and annealing conditions is investigated. Films with a thickness about 20 nm are easy to form with (0 0 1) orientation. The existence of the Ag in the film plays a dominant role in inducing the (0 0 1) texture of the film and suppressing the growth of the CoPt grains during annealing. The Co 35 Pt 38 Ag 27 film after annealing at 600 °C exhibits a large perpendicular coercivity of 5.6 kOe and a squareness of 0.90 with a small average grains size of 12.5 nm.