Title :
Nanostructures of Sm-Co on Cr thin films
Author :
Liu, Y. ; Robertson, B.W. ; Shan, Z.S. ; Malhotra, S. ; Yu, M.J. ; Renukunta, S.K. ; Liou, S.H. ; Sellmyer, D.J.
Author_Institution :
Center for Mater. Res. & Anal., Nebraska Univ., Lincoln, NE, USA
fDate :
11/1/1994 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The nanostructures of Sm-Co on Cr thin films prepared by dc magnetron sputtering were investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and diffraction techniques. HRTEM micrographs show that the crystallites in the Sm-Co films, as revealed by the lattice fringes, are distributed discontinuously in the matrix. The matrix is amorphous as indicated by the microdiffraction study. The size of the crystallites is in the range of 2~5 nanometers. The volume fraction of the crystallites in the film decreases from 91% to 54% as the argon pressure is increased from 5 mTorr to 30 mTorr. Micrographs recorded in a bright field transmission electron microscope (TEM) with a defocus of a few micrometers reveal grain-like structures of about 25 nm in some but not all films. This grain-structure is found to be inherited from the Cr underlayer
Keywords :
chromium; cobalt alloys; crystallites; electron diffraction; ferromagnetic materials; magnetic thin films; nanostructured materials; samarium alloys; sputtered coatings; transmission electron microscopy; 5 to 30 mtorr; Cr thin films; Cr underlayer; DC magnetron sputtering; HRTEM; Sm-Co; SmCo-Cr; amorphous matrix; argon pressure; bright field transmission electron microscopy; crystallites; defocus; electron diffraction; electron microdiffraction; grain-structure; high resolution transmission electron microscopy; lattice fringes; nanostructures; Amorphous magnetic materials; Chromium; Crystallization; Diffraction; Lattices; Magnetic force microscopy; Nanostructures; Sputtering; Transistors; Transmission electron microscopy;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
