Berlin 2012 – scientific programme
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DS: Fachverband Dünne Schichten
DS 30: Thin film characterization: structure analysis and composition (TEM, LEED, PAS)
DS 30.1: Talk
Thursday, March 29, 2012, 09:30–09:45, H 0111
TEM investigation of magnetically exchange coupled FeTb/[Co/Pt]n films — •Herbert Schletter, Christian Schubert, Birgit Hebler, Manfred Albrecht, and Michael Hietschold — Institut für Physik, Technische Universität Chemnitz, 09107 Chemnitz
The coupling phenomena between different magnetic materials are of interest for fundamental research as well as for applications. Interesting magnetic behaviour is reported for the coupling of a ferrimagnetic (FI) amorphous FeTb layer to ferromagnetic (FM) [Co/Pt]n multilayers [1]. For our studies, such two-component systems were deposited by room temperature sputtering onto SiO2/Si substrates. In contrast to [1], magnetic characterization by means of SQUID revealed an unexpectedly strong exchange coupling even when a 3 nm thick Pt spacer layer was introduced between FM and FI.
Since the exchange coupling strongly depends on the interface morphology, TEM was used to gather structural information of the sample. The investigation showed, that parts of the FM layer possess high roughness caused by deep trenches between the crystallites. As a result, the spacer layer might be discontinuous and therefore its decoupling effect would be hindered.
As a further step, FeTb layers (identical to the ones in the two-component systems) were deposited onto prepatterned substrates. The structural changes caused by the substrate patterns were studied by TEM and correlated with changes in the magnetic properties.
[1] S. Manging et al., Phys. Rev. B 78, 024424 (2008)