Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 13: Magnetic Materials II

MA 13.2: Talk

Monday, March 14, 2011, 17:15–17:30, HSZ 401

Magnetic properties of Fe_1−xTb_x thin films — •C. Schubert¹, B. Hebler¹, A. Liebig¹, F. Radu², M. Daniel¹, and M. Albrecht¹ — ¹Chemnitz University of Technology, Institute of Physics, Germany — ²Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Department of Magnetization Dynamics, Germany

Amorphous ferrimagnetic rare earth-transition metal alloys with high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) at room temperature (RT) are suitable for the use as pinning layers in spin valve sensor systems or in hard drive disks to overcome the superparamagnetic limit [1]. In this regard Fe_1−xTb_x thin films are promising candidates since their ferrimagnetic properties with respect to a chosen temperature can be well controlled depending on the Tb content.

Here we present an investigation of the structural and magnetic properties of 20 nm thick amorphous Fe_1−xTb_x alloy films in the composition range from x = 0.19 to 0.26. The magnetic layers are embedded in Pt seed and capping layers with a thickness of 5 and 3 nm respectively to prevent them from oxidation. All depositions were realized through magnetron sputtering on thermally oxidized Si(100) wafers. A compensation point above RT, as verified through the temperature dependence of the remanence and the coercivity, was achieved at x = 0.24. Interestingly, the magnetization reversal process changes towards lower temperatures and shows an exchange spring behavior due to an anisotropy gradient in the film. Furthermore first results on nanostructured Fe_1−xTb_x thin films will be presented.

[1] Fullerton et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 23 (2000)