Periodically modulated surfaces and interfaces: Introducing artificial length scales to tailor magnetic properties

In thin magnetic films different intrinsic length scales affect the magnetic properties, e.g., the exchange correlation length determined by the exchange constant and the anisotropy of the material or the grain size of polycrystalline materials determined mainly by the growth conditions and substrates used. In the latter case also the intergranular coupling influences the magnetic properties.

Introducing an artificial extrinsic length scale in the range 10 – 100 nm allows an additional degree of freedom to tailor the overall magnetic properties of the material of choice. This length scale is established by means of low energy ion erosion of semiconductor surfaces which lead to a periodically modulated surface (ripple structure). The periodicity and amplitude can easily be varied by means of the ion erosion parameters [1]. Hence upon thin film deposition modulated surfaces and interfaces of the magnetic films result.

Two different examples will be discussed. i) Induced magnetic anisotropies in soft magnetic films deposited on rippled substrates [2]. The microscopic origin can be extrinsic, due to dipolar stray fields, as well as intrinsic, due to spin-orbit coupling phenomena at monoatomic steps. The relative contribution of both microscopic effects to the macroscopically measurable material properties depend sensitively on the introduced ripple wavelength and amplitude. ii) Magnetic properties of hard magnetic CoCrPt-SiO2 perpendicular recording media [3]. Due to a combination of deposition on a modulated surface and post-deposition ion irradiation a predefined number of grains can be exchange coupled to act as one magnetic entity required for bit patterned media. The physical mechanisms will be discussed.

Support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is gratefully acknowledged.

[1] S. Facsko, H. Kurz, T. Dekorsy, Energy dependence of quantum dot formation by ion sputtering, Phys. Rev. B 63, 165329 (2001).
[2] M. O. Liedke, B. Liedke, A. Keller, B. Hillebrands, A. Mücklich, S. Facsko, J. Fassbender, Induced anisotropies in exchange-coupled systems on rippled substrates, Phys. Rev. B 75, 220407(R) (2007).
[3] T. Strache, S. Tibus, F. Springer, H. Rohrmann, M. Albrecht, J. Fassbender, Tuning coercivity in CoCrPt-SiO2 hard disk material, OR15-4, International Conference on Ion Beam Modification of Materials, IBMM08, 31.08.-05.09.2008, Dresden, Germany