Perpendicular magnetization structure of Co-Cr films

In a perpendicular recording system, a Co-Cr film as a medium is capable of storing very high density signals. Lorentz microscopy of 1000 kV TEM was used to observe the structure of recorded magnetizations in Co-Cr films having perpendicular anisotropy. A composite medium of a Co-Cr film with a soft magnetic back layer was shown by Lorentz microscopy to have a horseshoe magnetization structure. The stable antiparallel magnetization of transition in the Co-Cr layer determined the head-on magnetization structure of the soft magnetic back layer, which consists of a new straw-rope domain structure. The perpendicular magnetization structure of the Co-Cr film was found to consist of small domains magnetized through the film thickness which correspond to the columnar microstructure of the film. Since the intrinsic hysteresis loop of a Co-Cr film was shown to essentially have an ideal rectangular shape, it can be concluded that the Co-Cr layer of a composite film can be recorded by an ideal magnetizing process with negligible demagnetizing field at the transition.     

High-energy Co-Cr thin films sputtered on glass disks forperpendicular recording

The authors have developed high-energy Co-Cr thin-film perpendicular recording media for rigid disks. They obtained high perpendicular coercivity (Hc⊥) exceeding 2000 Oe with Co-Cr films sputtered on glass disks. They examined recording characteristics obtained with double-layered media and single-pole heads. Readout voltages were proportional to Hc⊥ up to 2000 Oe and not dependent on saturation magnetization. The authors explain the experimental results using the hysteresis curve of the Co-Cr film and the permeance factor determined by the magnetic reluctance of the head and medium. Using a magnetic circuit model, they clarify the effect of the difference in the operating point on the hysteresis curves of rigid- and flexible-disk systems     

Perpendicular magnetic recording

This paper describes the recent studies for the magnetic head, the medium and the recording properties on a new perpendicular magnetic recording system. The complemental features between the perpendicular and the longitudinal recording are discussed to establish an efficient magnetic recording system. Superior response in the amplitude and the peak shift characteristics for a digital signal proves that the perpendicular magnetization mode is basically free from the recording demagnetization in high densities and the maximum density has been limited merely by the resolution of the reproducing head. Significant improvement for the recording and the reproducing sensitivities of a perpendicular head has been made by using a composite anisotropy medium composed by double layers of Fe-Ni and Co-Cr thin films.     

Segregation in sputtered Co-Cr films

The segregation growth process in sputtered Co-Cr films is investigated by examining the effect of substrate temperature on the segregated microstructure and magnetic properties. In sputtered Co-25at%Cr films, segregation occurs below 560°C, and both the saturation magnetization and the perpendicular anisotropy constant show a maximum around a substrate temperature of 300°C, where a specific microstructure, called a CP (chrysanthemum-like pattern) structure, is observed. The results suggest that the CP structure becomes observable in the highly segregated state and generates high perpendicular anisotropy. A new segregation growth model is derived from the results of the CP structure observations. Using this model, it is possible to explain the continuous transition of the magnetization mode between the continuous and the particulate modes.     

Magnetization reversal in sputtered Co-Cr films

The magnetic characteristics of a set of r.f. sputtered Co-Cr films of various composition and thickness are examined in order to evaluate their performance for perpendicular recording. The mechanism of the magnetization reversal is discussed on the bases of: i) the shape of the rotational hysteresis loss as a function of the internal rotating field, ii) the value of the rotational hysteresis integral, iii) the dependence of the coercivity Hc, and the remanence coercivity Hr, on the angle between the easy direction and the field direction. In particular the measurements of rotational hysteresis were performed by monitoring the rate of change of the angular velocity of a top containing the specimen spinning in a magnetic field perpendicular to its axis. The deviation of the experimental behaviour from the ideal models are related to the amount of anomalies in the columnar structure of the film.     

Co-Cr perpendicular magnetic recording tape by vacuum deposition

The relation between the incident angle and the crystallographic orientation of a vacuum deposited Co-Cr film is discussed. Also presented are the magnetic properties and the orientation of both a Ni-Fe underlayer and the Co-Cr film for the double layer medium, and the experimental results about the composition distribution in the co-cr film. The films were deposited on a transporting polymer substrate by continuous vacuum deposition. It is found that the orientation of the Co-Cr film is determined only by the incident angle at the initial point of the film formation, and that deposition efficiency more than 50% can be achieved easily. A double layer medium with Ti film under the Ni-Fe film (Co-Cr/Ni-Fe/Ti medium), which is suitable for perpendicular magnetic recording, is produced by vacuum deposition. Auger depth profile in radial direction of the column of the Co-Cr film shows directly that there is Cr segregation near the columnar grain boundaries.     

Perpendicular magnetic recording performance of double-layer media

Perpendicular magnetic recording performance for double-layer (Co-Cr,Ni-Fe) media was analyzed, with a simple magnetization model, in comparison with single-layer media. The calculated output voltage from a ring-shaped reproducing head shows good agreement with experimental data. It is shown theoretically and empirically that the Co-Cr layer thickness can be reduced without sacrificing the output amplitude, if the Ni-Fe layer is placed underneath it to perform as a "flux sink" to extinguish the rear surface charge on the Co-Cr layer.     

Perpendicular magnetic recording -- Evolution and future

This paper reviews research results for the head, medium and recording properties of a perpendicular recording system. Superior bit density characteristics obtained so far indicate that perpendicular recording is basically free from demagnetization in the high density region and that it will establish a new field of recording technology in the future. The prediction is explained in the context of complementary profiles of longitudinal and perpendicular recording. At the very beginning of magnetic recording, a perpendicular-type head was considered but abandoned because a suitable medium did not exist. Progress in material science has enabled us to develop a perpendicular recording medium which is very well suited for ultra high density recording. As so often happens, history has repeated itself through another study of perpendicular recording.     

Perpendicular magnetic recording with a composite anisotropy film

For a recently proposed perpendicular recording system, a composite anisotropy medium has been developed to improve the recording sensitivity of the perpendicular recording head. The medium is composed of a Fe-Ni soft magnetic film and a Co-Cr perpendicular anisotropy film, which are successively deposited on a base by an r. f. sputtering. By using the new double layer medium, an extremely high recording sensitivity could be obtained, compared with the single layer Co-Cr medium. The recording current needed to saturate the double layer film decreased to one-tenth of that for the single layer Co-Cr film. Although the Fe-Ni layer was soft magnetic material, neither deterioration of the frequency response nor peak shift was observed for the double layer film. The reproduction with a perpendicular head was also investigated, and a high output voltage and a high signal-to-noise ratio were obtained.     

Perpendicular anisotropy of evaporated magnetic films

Evidence of the existence of origins of perpendicular anisotropy other than the ordinary magnetostrictive effect is presented with a brief review of other studies. As one of these origins, the effect of the grain boundaries or the microscopic shape effect is discussed. The amount of perpendicular anisotropy observed in the stripped films does not seem capable of explanation by this effect only.     

Electron microscopy on high-coercive-force Co-Cr composite films

Electron microscopy was used to analyze the crystallographic and magnetic structures of high-coercive-force Co-Cr composite films. The chromium sublayer appears to give high coercive forces by causing the growth of cobalt in the hexagonal phase with a relatively narrow distribution of grain sizes. Magnetization reversal was examined by Lorentz microscopy of films with coercive fields up toH_{c} = 900Oe. It proceeds by nucleation and extension of magnetostatically coupled domains. The progressive limitation of these extensions as the coercive force increases illustrates the connection between the magnetostatic coupling, the coercive force, and the squareness of the hysteresis loop. Lorentz microscopy was also used to investigate a recorded transition between NRZ 1 and 0 states and showed a saw-toothed structure, characteristic of a magnetization in the plane of the film.     

Magnetic properties and microstructure of sputtered Co-Cr films

Microscopic structural parameters of sputter-deposited Co-Cr films, such as the effective crystallite size along the thickness direction Deff(=coherent length), the strain < ε²>^1/2, and the lattice spacing d00.2have been systematically studied by means of X-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in conjunction with the magnetic properties. Cross-sectional observations by TEM revealed that a number of slip bands exist in the poorly oriented films. Slip and deformation bands interrupt the coherency along the c-axis in films, giving a spread to the orientation of the c-axis across the band boundaries. The effective crystallite size Defffor such poorly oriented films was found to be less than 200 Å, which is consistent with the period of contrast observed by TEM. When a film was annealed, Deffwas found to increase and the saturation magnetization Ms decreased, implying that Cr segregation as well as slip bands decreased throughout the thickness.     

Control of coercive force of Co-Cr sputtered films

The role of c-axis orientation of the crystallites in the sputtered Co-Cr thin films has been investigated aiming for the control of the coercive force of the film. It has been confirmed that the c-axis orientation plays a very important role to control the coercive force, Hcperpand Hcparellel. When the c-axis of the film is well oriented, only Hcperpchanges with the increase of the substrate temperature Ts leaving Hcparellelrather constant. However, both Hcperpand Hcparellelchange together with the increase of Ts when the film is poorly oriented. It has been considered that Ts is only the factor adjustable for controlling Hc of the films, but the results in this study indicate that the c-axis orientation is the another factor to control Hcperpand Hcparellel, separately.     

Plasma-enhanced vacuum evaporation of perpendicular Co-Cr magneticthin films

A novel plasma-enhanced vacuum evaporation process is described for the fabrication of perpendicular Co-Cr thin films for high-density magnetic tape recording. The plasma is excited by an RF coil placed between the source and substrate and is supported by the metal evaporant itself without the need for a carrier gas. The primary effect of the plasma is to increase the perpendicular coercivity, thus allowing a reduction in substrate temperature for better compatibility with low-temperature (and cheaper) polymer supports. It is found that Cr concentration, substrate temperature, and substrate surface preparation are critical to the development and control of perpendicular magnetic characteristics. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cross-section analysis reveals a slight increase in grain diameter from film bottom to top, even for films with well-oriented initial layers. A survival-of-the-tallest grain growth model in the high-mobility limit is proposed to explain some of the observed features     

Magnetic properties and microstructure of sputtered Co-Cr films

The magnetic properties of sputter-deposited Co-Cr films are discussed in relation to the microstructure observed using high resolution transmission electron microscopy. When the dispersion angle ΔΘ₅₀ of the c axis from the film normal decreases, a columnar structure becomes less clear. Detailed observation of a column in a poorly oriented film revealed the existence of a great number of slip bands associated with stacking faults. These faults are considered to be the cause of the decrease in the degree of the c axis orientation. Further, the column boundary was found to be sharp, implying that no significant precipitation of chromium occured thereabouts.     

Influence of initial growth layer and Ti underlayer on magneticproperties and recording characteristics of very thin films ofevaporated Co-Cr media

A Co-Cr film deposited directly on a substrate has an initial growth layer with low coercivity. However, the existence of a Ti underlayer prevents the formation of such a layer. As a result, Co-Cr film deposited on a Ti underlayer has high perpendicular anisotropy and coercivity even in cases of extremely thin film thickness (200 Å). As for the read-write characteristics of Co-Cr thin-film media, the existence of such an initial growth layer greatly improves the reproduced output level. The cause for this is considered to be that the free charges which appear on the back surface of the perpendicular recording layer are reduced and the demagnetization field acting on the recorded magnetization subsequently decreases due to the existence of the initial growth layer     

Magnetic properties of Co-Cr/mumetal double layer films

A dc magnetron sputtered multilayer (Co-Cr mumetal) film is examined for magnetic coupling of the sublayers. No evidence for physical coupling is observed. The multilayer coercivity near the perpendicular direction has a strong dependence on angle due to the planar mumetal component. The coercivity of the mumetal exhibits Kondorsky-type angular behavior. Coercivities of the Co-Cr film measured parallel and perpendicular to the field direction both decrease linearly from 100 K to 340 K, with a room temperature coefficientbeta = (1/H_{c})(DeltaH_{c}/DeltaT) = -0.2percent/K. The temperature dependence of coercivity can be modeled on a domain wall pinning theory, based on exchange fluctuations over a small domain wall area. It is shown that high Curie temperatures are needed to minimize thermal variation in recording output signal. X-ray transmission attenuation is shown to be a useful tool for determining the Co-Cr thickness in a multilayer film.     

Inclining columnar structure in Co-Cr films prepared by roll magnetron sputtering

Co-Cr films, sputtered onto continuously transported substrates, exhibit columnar structure bowing according to incident angle variation during deposition. Surface grains were found to be elongated along the substrate moving direction. This factor seems to be related with the relative film motion. The column inclination is well approximated by the incident angle of the atom beam vector sum, considering the incidence probability from the two line target sources. It was found, by analysing the surface grain shapes using a high speed image processor, that the Co-Cr grains exhibited a sharp normal probability distribution in regard to diameter.     

Inhomogeneous Cr concentration as origin of the perpendicular coercivity in Co-Cr films

Cr segregation at grain boundaries of columnar Co-Cr films as found by different authors may result in obstacles to domain wall motion or even in a breakdown of the exchange coupling between neighbouring grains. Both effects introduce an increase of the perpendicular coercivity. Its magnitude is estimated on the base of two different models: the wall-displacement model for exchange coupled grains and the model of rotational magnetization for exchange isolated columns. There is a satisfying agreement with experimental results for exchange coupled grains whereas the theoretical coercivities of exchange isolated columns are generally too high.