Microstructure, Exchange Interaction and Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Zr6Co23/MgO(001) Films

In this work, we have studied the effect of thickness delta on the microstructural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Zr6Co23 films grown on MgO(001) substrate. A series of Zr6Co23/MgO(001) films have been prepared for different thickness delta. The coercivity H-c, the squareness factor S* and the anisotropy field Ha are investigated as a function of delta thickness and grain sizes Phi. The excellent magnetic properties are found for delta = 100 nm: the coercivity H-c = 3020 Oe, maximum energy product (BH)(max) of 28 MGOe and magnetic anisotropy constant K-1 similar or equal to 1.35 x 10(7) erg/cm(3). The relationships between exchange interaction, magnetic domain structure and anisotropy parameters are discussed. The obtained results provide the fundamental reference to adapt the magnetic properties of Zr6Co23/MgO(001) films for potential applications in the permanent magnet domain.