Magnetic properties and microstructure of FePt/MoC/CrRu films

•The MoC conductive intermediate layer was resisted the Cr diffusion.•The MoC layer promote the epitaxial growth of (001) textured FePt film.•The FePt film shows perpendicular magnetization on MoC layer.

The FePt films with thickness of 4−10 nm were deposited on MoC/CrRu/glass at substrate temperature ranged from 260 to 410 °C by using magnetron sputtering and strong (001) textured FePt films were obtained at 380 °C and 410 °C. The multi-functional MoC conductive intermediate layer was used to resist the Cr diffusion and promote the epitaxial growth of the (001) textured FePt film which shows perpendicular magnetization and a linear-like in-plane magnetic loop. The out-of plane coercivity and shape of demagnetization curve were dominated by the ordering degree and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy which were increased with deposited temperature. The FePt film deposited at 290 °C shows continuous morphology and change to interconnected structure at 350 °C and finally form the island like structure at 380 °C and 410 °C. Each island contains many FePt grains and the smaller grains size was 12.2 nm which obtained at 5 nm thick FePt film. Perpendicular anisotropy of 1.1×107 erg/cm3 and coercivity of 8.2 kOe have been demonstrated in 7 nm thick FePt film.