Anomalous x-ray diffraction measurements of long-range order in (001)-textured L1(0) FePtCu thin films

M. Maret (1) , C. Brombacher (2) , P. Matthes (2) , D. Makarov (2) , Nathalie Boudet (3) , M. Albrecht (2)

1 SIMaP - Science et Ingénierie des Matériaux et Procédés
2 Chemnitz University of Technology / Technische Universität Chemnitz
3 NEEL - CRG - CRG & Grands instruments

Thin films of L1(0)-ordered (Fe51Pt49)(100-x)Cu-x with (001) texture were obtained by rapid thermal annealing of FePt(5 nm-t)/Cu(t) bilayers deposited by magnetron sputtering at room temperature on thermally oxidized Si(001) substrates. The L1(0) long-range ordering fully described by two independent chemical order parameters was investigated by anomalous x-ray diffraction measurements performed at the Fe K and Pt L-III edges. These measurements reveal that Cu atoms are preferentially located on the Fe-rich (001) planes. Up to a Cu content of 9 at.%, the Cu addition favors L1(0) ordering particularly after annealing to 600 degrees C, giving rise to an increase in effective magnetic anisotropy. Beyond this composition, Cu atoms displace a large fraction of Fe atoms to the Pt-rich (001) planes, leading to a rapid decrease in magnetic anisotropy and saturation magnetization.

Domaines: Matériaux

M. Maret, C. Brombacher, P. Matthes, D. Makarov, Nathalie Boudet, et al.. Anomalous x-ray diffraction measurements of long-range order in (001)-textured L1(0) FePtCu thin films. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 2012, 86 (2), pp.024204. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.86.024204⟩. ⟨hal-00747584⟩