Elemental segregation in Co-Cr-P-Pt/Cr magnetic thin films by imaging filter

Abstract

The microstructure and magnetic properties of the Co-Cr-P-Pt thin films with Cr underlayer used in longitudinal magnetic recording were characterized as a function of Pt content from 0 to 18.8 at.% Pt. The effects of platinum addition in the Co-Cr-P-Pt system on microstructural features were investigated and related to changes of magnetic properties of thin films. The increase of in-plane coercivity may be related to the segregations at the grain boundary and to the changes of other microstructural features. These changes in magnetic properties were elucidated by TEM equipped with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Gatan Image Filter (GIF(TM)).