Domain structure and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in CoFe/Pd multilayers using off-axis electron holography

Published

August 15, 2015

Author(s)

Justin M. Shaw, Desai Zhang, David Smith, Martha McCartney

Abstract

Multilayers of Co₉₀Fe₁₀/Pd with different Co₉₀Fe₁₀ alloy thicknesses, which are expected to show perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, have been deposited by dc-magnetron sputtering on thermally oxidized Si wafers. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the highly textured crystalline films had columnar structure, while observations by scanning transmission electron microscopy indicated some interdiffusion between the Co₉₀Fe₁₀ and Pd layers. The magnetic domain structure and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of the Co₉₀Fe₁₀/Pd multilayers were investigated by off-axis electron holography and magnetic force microscopy. It was confirmed that the Co₉₀Fe₁₀ layer thickness was the primary factor determining the magnetic domain size and the perpendicular magnetization: both decreased as the thickness increased. The strongest PMA was observed in the sample with the magnetic layer thickness of 0.45nm.

Citation

Journal of Applied Physics

Volume

388

Pub Type

Journals

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DOI Link

Keywords

Off-axis electronholography, CoFe/Pd multilayers, Perpendicular magneticanisotropy Magnetic domainstructure, Perpendicular magneticanisotropy, Magnetic domainstructure

Citation

Shaw, J. , Zhang, D. , Smith, D. and McCartney, M. (2015), Domain structure and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in CoFe/Pd multilayers using off-axis electron holography, Journal of Applied Physics, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2015.04.015 (Accessed October 8, 2025)