Structural and Magnetic Characteristics of Nanogranular Co–Al2O3 Single- and Multilayer Films Formed by the Solid-State Synthesis

Abstract

The results of structural and magnetic investigations of nanogranular Co–Al₂O₃ films formed from Co₃O₄/Al thin-film layered structures upon vacuum annealing are reported. The Co₃O₄/Al films have been obtained by sequential reactive magnetron sputtering of a metallic cobalt target in a medium consisting of the Ar + O₂ gas mixture and magnetron sputtering of an aluminum target in the pure argon atmosphere. It is shown that such a technique makes it possible to obtain nanogranular Co–Al₂O₃ single- and multilayer thin films with a well-controlled size of magnetic grains and their distribution over the film thickness.