Accelerating the L10 ordering transition of FePt(001) nanograins using composite buffer layers.

This paper reports fabrication of 2-nm-thick L10 FePt films at a low substrate temperature of 400 °C using composite MgO and FeAl buffer layers on (001) MgO substrates. The FeAl buffer layer is crucial in promoting the ordered L10 growth of (001) FePt by allowing additional heat uptake. The MgO buffer layer prevents interlayer diffusion of FeAl into the FePt films and induces (001) texture growth. The deposited FePt films consist of isolated nanograins about 13 nm in size. These films have (001) texture and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with a coercivity of up to 19 kOe. They have potential applications in perpendicular magnetic recording. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]