Magnetic properties of Co films deposited onto obliquely sputtered Ta underlayers

Abstract Gold-capped Co films deposited on obliquely sputtered Ta underlayers have produced coercivities in excess of 400 Oe, and anisotropy fields of 800 Oe. The coercivity increases with Ta deposition angle and thickness. The coercivity and anisotropy can be increased further to values >600 and 900 Oe, respectively, by replacing the Au capping layer with Cu. Films with an obliquely deposited underlayer exhibit a reduced density and an increased interface roughness compared to normally deposited films. The trilayers fabricated in this study show promising results for use in giant magnetoresistance sensors.