Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in Pt/Co/MgO(001) epitaxial thin films

The self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in the two-layer and multilayer Pt/Co(001) thin films has been investigated. It is shown that the initiation of the synthesis occurs at temperatures of 770–820 K. After the synthesis in the two-layer film samples, the PtCo(001) disordered phase exhibits an epitaxial growth at the interface between cobalt and platinum layers. In the multilayer Pt/Co(001) thin films, the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis also brings about the formation of the PtCo(001) disordered phase on the MgO(001) surface. Further annealing at a temperature of 870 K for 4 h results in the transition of the PtCo(001) disordered phase to the ordered phase. Rapid thermal annealing of the Pt/Co(001) multilayer films at a temperature of 1000 K leads to the formation of the CoPt3 phase. The magnetic characteristics change in accord with the structural transformations in Pt/Co film samples.