Magnetic anisotropy of Co/Cu/Co nanocrystalline films upon magnetic annealing

The magnetic anisotropy of Co/Cu/Co films with the thickness of the copper spacer corresponding to the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic indirect exchange coupling between Co layers has been studied. The films deposited on naturally oxidized (111) Si single crystals were produced by magnetron sputtering. The films were annealed at 240°C. Such an annealing virtually neither changes the grain size nor leads to the mixing of layers; i.e., no disturbance of the coupling type between the cobalt layers takes place. Changes in the surface and induced magnetic anisotropy and in the effective energy of indirect exchange coupling have been studied upon annealing in the presence and absence of a magnetic field. It has been found that the shape of surface inhomogeneities in the films changes upon annealing in the magnetic field applied along the film plane, which substantially affects, the surface anisotropy. In the films characterized by antiferromagnetic coupling, the easy axis of magnetization is induced only in the magnetic fields exceeding the saturation field. The induced-anisotropy constant estimated theoretically agrees well with those determined experimentally.