Just 50°C decides whether an ultrathin magnetic film stays flat or falls apart
Magnetic storage technologies, which store information in the direction of magnetization, play an essential role in modern data storage. Hard disk drives (HDDs) are widely used for long-term storage, while nonvolatile magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) is emerging as a promising alternative to flash memory.
Researchers from the University of Toyama in Japan have discovered that the thickness and temperature of initial heating play a crucial role in determining the morphology of ultrathin L10-FePd films during a two-step heating process. L10-FePd films are particularly promising for MRAM due to their low magnetic damping, which allows for energy-efficient magnetization switching.
The study found that films grown at 150°C remained flat with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, making them ideal for MRAM applications. In contrast, films heated at 200°C experienced solid-state dewetting, leading to hole formation and near-perfect magnetic ordering, while films heated at 300°C became rough and island-like. This research suggests that controlling the initial heating temperature can help engineer magnetic anisotropy and nanostructures in spintronic devices, potentially leading to ultra-low-power magnetic recording materials for future HDDs and MRAM.
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