Sequential sputtered Co-HfO2 granular films

A systematic study of magnetic, magneto-transport and micro-structural properties of Co-HfO2 granular films fabricated by sequential sputtering is presented. We demonstrate reduction in ferromagnetic-oxide formation by using HfO2 as the insulting matrix. Microstructure evaluation of the films showed that the film structure consisted of discrete hcp-Co grains embedded in HfO2 matrix. Films with varying compositions were prepared and their macroscopic properties were studied. We correlate the variation in these properties to the variation in film microstructure. Our study shows that Co-HfO2 films with reduced cobalt oxide and varying properties can be prepared using sequential sputtering technique.