FeAl underlayers for CoCrPt thin film longitudinal media

B2 ordered FeAl films with a small, uniform grain size have been produced by rf diode sputter deposition on glass substrates. CoCrPt films grown on FeAl underlayers were found to have the (1010) lamellar texture. The in-plane coercivities (Hc) of the CoCrPt/FeAl films are comparable to those of the CoCrPt/Cr films and they can be further improved by inserting a thin Cr intermediate layer between the CoCrPt and the FeAl layers. By employing a MgO seed layer or a (002) textured Cr seed layer, (001) textured FeAl can be obtained. However, the (001) FeAl underlayer only induces a weak (1120) textured CoCrPt. Thus no improvement in Hc over those produced on unseeded FeAl underlayers was observed.