Influence of Microstructures on Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect for MnSbPt Films (Effect of Precipitation and Recrystallization of PtMnSb Phase)

Abstract

The relationship between the maximum of a magneto- optical Kerr rotation, θ_K, in the region of 500∼550 nm (2.48∼2.25 eV) and the formation process of the PtMnSb phase for the Mn₅₀Sb₄₄Pt₆ films was discussed. As results, it was found; (1) The PtMnSb phase coherently precipitated at grain boundaries of the host solid solution of the hex. MnSb(Pt) phase at the annealing temperature less than 300°C. (2) The PtMnSb phase recrystallized to be the size of about 1000Å, with changing the crystal orientation into a high atomic density plane of (111) at the annealing temperature more than 300°C. (3) The appearance and the shift of the θ_K maximum were caused by the ε_xy' maximum. (4) The ε_xy'maximum of the PtMnSb phase at 2.00 eV was inactive in the coherent precipitation process, but active in the recrystallization process.