Formation of non-equilibrium sputtered Cr films used in thin film HD recording media

Abstract

Formation and phase transformation of non-equilibrium &-A15 Cr thin films prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering have been characterized. Processing parameters such as working pressure, deposition time and temperature were found to affect the formation of &-A15 Cr films. We have demonstrated for the first time that the phase transformation of the &-A15 Cr phase to the equilibrium a -B C C Cr phase is an irreversible, exothermic, first-order transition. Onset and peak temperatures of the transformation were determined to be 428°C and 437OC, respectively, at a heating rate of 10"C/min. Our post-deposition annealing study by X-ray diffraction further verified the occurrence of t r a n s f o r m a t i o n .