Effects of total thickness on (001) texture, surface morphology, and magnetic properties of [Fe/Pt]_n multilayer films by monatomic layer deposition

Atomic-scale [Fe/Pt]_n multilayer films with different total thickness were prepared on thermally oxidized Si (100) substrates at room temperature by monatomic layer deposition using dc-magnetron and rf-magnetron sputtering. Effects of the total thickness on (001) texture, surface morphology, and magnetic properties of the postannealed films have been investigated. It is found that the particlelike structure films with perfect (001) texture and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are obtained with a thickness of less than or equal to 6.5 nm. After 500 °C annealing, the films with thickness of 6.5 and 11.9 nm show very smooth surface. In addition, with increasing total thickness of the films, (001) texture and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the annealed films deteriorate, and the films become continuous in structure. The total thickness of the films also affects the exchange-coupling interaction among FePt magnetic grains and the magnetization reversal process.