A magnetic and high resolution structural investigation of Pt/Co multilayers

The paper discusses the results of experiments on sputter-deposited polycrystalline Pt/Co multilayer films. A particular aim was to measure the magnetic properties of multilayers with differing periods and layer thicknesses and to examine their atomic scale structure using high resolution electron microscopy. We show that the magnetic properties of the multilayers are strongly dependent of their microstructure. Perpendicular magnetisation at small cobalt layer thickness corresponding to one or two monolayers is associated with a strong surface anisotropy and a columnar and coherent crystal growth texture. At greater bilayer thicknesses this effective anisotropy and mode of growth is lost.