Abstract
In this study, Sm-Co layers with various thickness were prepared at various Ar pressures and substrate temperatures on Cr underlayers and their magnetic properties and surface morphology were studied. Sm-Co layers with coercivity higher than 3 kOe can be prepared at room temperature and at Ar pressures of around 8 mTorr. The grain size, which was evaluated with AFM, is almost same as that of the Cr under layer where the thickness of the Sm-Co layer is below 100 nm. Sm-Co/Cr films with coercivity higher than 3 kOe can be prepared at thickness in the range of 15 to 100 nm. These films exhibited squareness ratios greater than 0.83 and coercive squareness ratios greater than 0.95. The experimental results suggest that Sm-Co/Cr films are suitable for use as a high density longitudinal recording medium.
