Electron spectroscopic imaging analysis of compositional inhomogeneity in CoCrTa longitudinal thin film media

Author

Yahisa, Y. ; Kimoto, K. ; Usami, K. ; Matsuda, Y. ; Inagaki, J. ; Furusawa, K. ; Narishige, S.

Author_Institution

Data Storage & Retrieval Syst. Div., Hitachi Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan

Volume

31

Issue

6

fYear

1995

fDate

11/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2836

Lastpage

2838

Abstract

The topographical nature of the compositional inhomogeneity in Co-17at.%Cr-5at.%Ta/Cr longitudinal thin film media deposited at different substrate temperature Ts, was analyzed using electron spectroscopic imaging. In the CoCrTa film deposited at high Ts, Cr segregates to the grain boundaries and intragrains, resulting in a two-dimensional network. The compositional variation grew as Ts became high. The concentration of the Cr enriched region was in the range 20-30 at.%, and that of the Cr depleted region was in the range 5-10 at.% for the sample Ts=270°C. A strain-free CoCrTa(112¯0) lattice spacing, which is probably related to the Cr concentration in the Co hexagonal matrix, decreased as Ts became high. This Cr segregation can reduce the exchange coupling between neighboring grains, resulting in low noise characteristics

Keywords

chromium alloys; cobalt alloys; electron spectroscopy; grain boundary segregation; magnetic recording; magnetic thin films; tantalum alloys; 270 C; CoCrTa; CoCrTa longitudinal thin film media; compositional inhomogeneity; electron spectroscopic imaging; exchange coupling; grain boundary segregation; intragrain segregation; lattice spacing; noise; substrate temperature; topography; two-dimensional network; Chromium; Electrons; Grain boundaries; Image analysis; Lattices; Nonhomogeneous media; Spectroscopy; Sputtering; Substrates; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.490168

Filename

490168