Rapid thermal annealing of FePt thin films

In this study, Fe52Pt48 thin films were DC magnetron sputter-deposited at room temperature onto thermally oxidized silicon wafers. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was employed to induce the phase transformation from the chemically disordered A1 phase into the chemically ordered L1(0) phase. The influence of the annealing temperature, annealing time, and the film thickness on the ordering transformation and (001) texture evolution of FePt films was studied. Rapid thermal annealed films processed at temperatures larger than 600 degrees C exhibit high chemical L1(0) order with strong (001) texture. The resultant high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and large coercivities up to 40kOe are demonstrated. Simultaneously to the ordering transformation, RTA leads to a strong dewetting behavior of the film forming large islands.