DEPOSITION OF BA FERRITE FILMS FOR PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA USING MIXED SPUTTERING GAS OF XE, AR AND O-2

Ba Ferrite films were deposited epitaxially on ZnO underlayer from targets with composition of Ba0-6.5Fe(2)O(3) at substrate temperature of 600 degrees C using the facing targets sputtering apparatus. The gas mixture of Ar and Xe of 0.18 Pa and O-2 of 0.02 Pa was used as the sputtering gas and the dependences of crystallographic and magnetic characteristics on the partial Xe pressure P-xe(0.0-0.18 Pa) were investigated. Films deposited at various P-xe were composed of BaM ferrite and spinel crystallites, and the minimum centerline average roughness R(a) of 8.3 nm was obtained at P-xe of 0.10 Pa. Since saturation 4 pi M(s) of 5.1 kG and perpendicular anisotropy constant K-u1 of 4.23 X 10(5) J . m(-3) were larger than those of bulk BaM ferrite of 4.8 kG and 3.30x10(5) J . m(-3), respectively, these films appeared promising for use as perpendicular recording media.