Magnetization Studies on Tb-Fe and Tb-Fe-Co Thin Films

TLDR: Magnetization studies were carried out on TbFe and Tb-Fe-Co thin films, prepared using magnetron co-sputtering technique as discussed by the authors, and all the films were observed to exhibit planar anisotropy at 25 K.

Abstract: Magnetization studies were carried out on Tb-Fe and Tb-Fe-Co thin films, prepared using magnetron co-sputtering technique. The films Tb 25 Fe 75 and Tb 31 Fe 69 were found to have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) both at 25 and 300 K. In Tb-Fe-Co films, all the films were observed to exhibit planar anisotropy at 25 K, due to the increase of strain-induced anisotropy as a result of large magnetostriction at low temperatures leading to the development of in-plane anisotropy. PMA was observed in the films Tb 35 Fe 37 Co 28 , Tb 56 Fe 25 Co 19 , and Tb 63 Fe 20 Co 17 at 300 K. The Curie temperatures (T C ) of both TbxFe 100-x and Tb-Fe-Co films were found to be above room temperature (RT). Observing the Curie temperatures well above the RT, with the existence of PMA at RTs, is an interesting object in these films to find in magnetic data storage applications.