MAGNETIC CO/AL MULTILAYERS PREPARED BY PLANAR MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Structures and magnetic properties of Co/Al multilayers prepared by means of planar magnetron sputtering were investigated. We compare the results with those of the previously reported films fabricated by electron-beam deposition. It is found that remarkable differences exist between the films synthesized by the two methods. For example, the sputtered multilayers show a transition from in-plane to out-of-plane magnetization at a crossover thickness of Co layer from 14 to 7 angstrom. For samples with t(Co) less-than-or-equal-to 6 angstrom, the Co layers were discontinuous. Formation of the CoAl compound in the samples has not been observed.