Growth and characterization of epitaxial Fe-Pt films

The magnetic and structural properties of [Fe.sub.53] [Pt.sub.47] deposited by alternated-layer sputtering on MgO (100), heated at temperatures up to T = 550 [degrees]C, were investigated. The effect of a subsequent thermal annealing performed at the same temperature was found to be essential for obtaining 10-nm FePt thin films with a high degree of ordering and high squareness. Index Terms--FePt L[1.sub.0], perpendicular recording media, permanent magnets, thin films.