The Study of Magnetic Properties of Fe/Ag/Cr Thin Films

Abstract

(300Å)Fe films were deposited, on MgO (001) single crystalline substrate with various buffer layer thickness tAg (Å) / (75Å) Cr. The magnetic properties of the Fe films were measured by magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) technique. The MOKE measurements provided the tAg buffer layer thickness dependence of the hysteresis loops and the change of loop shapes with the surface roughness. It was found that the magnetization reversal process changed with the surface roughness. Magnetization rotation dominated the magnetization reversal for the smoothest films. As the films roughened, the domain-wall pinning set in, eventually dominating the magnetization reversal for the roughest films. Additionally, the magnetic uniaxial anisotropy in the Fe films disappeared as the roughness parameters increased. It was also found from MOKE that the surface roughness strongly affected the coercivity.