Structural and magnetic properties of Co68Fe24Zr8/Al2O3 multilayers

The structural and magnetic properties of Co68Fe24Zr8/Al2O3 multilayers grown by using magnetron sputtering were investigated with X-ray reflectivity, transmission electron microscopy and magneto-optical Kerr effect. The Co68Fe24Zr8 form amorphous islands when the nominal thickness of the Co68Fe24Zr8 layers is 10 Å, exhibiting an isotropic superparamagnetic behavior. Continuous layers with mostly a nano-crystalline structure are instead formed when the nominal thickness of the Co68Fe24Zr8 layers is increased to 20 Å. The continuous layers exhibit random, in-plane, magnetic anisotropy resulting from the growth process. However, induced uniaxial anisotropy is obtained when growing the sample in the presence of an applied magnetic field, regardless of the combination of amorphous and nano-crystalline material.