Magnetic Anisotropy and Magnetooptical Property of TbFe/SiO Compositionally Modulated Films

The magnetic anisotropy of a TbFe/SiO compositionally modulated film was studied. The magnetic anisotropy energy increases with the number of TbFe layers. The magnetic interaction between the TbFe layers contributes to the magnetic anisotropy even when the distance between the TbFe layers is 10 nm or more. Measured magnetic properties and ESCA analyses of annealed samples showed preferential oxidation of Tb. The energy spectra of the Si 2p electron indicate the coexistence of SiO and pure Si. The concentration of pure Si becomes greater at interfaces than at the centers of layers. Reduction of ¿K on annealing can be compensated by combining TbFe layers with different Fe concentrations, some Tb-rich and others Fe-rich.