Magnetic and crystallographic properties of CoCrPt thin films formed on Cr–Ti single crystalline underlayers

Abstract
By using an epitaxial growth technique, Co73Cr15Pt12(112̄0) bi‐crystalline thin films formed on Cr–Tix(001)[x=0–15 at. %] single crystalline underlayers were prepared to investigate the relationship between the magnetic properties and the lattice distortion in the magnetic layer. X‐ray diffraction measurement shows that the best lattice matching between the c axis of the CoCrPt and the [110] direction of the Cr–Ti underlayer is realized and the CoCrPt layer shows an ideal symmetrical hcp. structure when the Ti concentration is 10 at. %, where the maximum magneto‐crystalline anisotropy energy and coercivity values are observed. Distortion in the hcp. CoCrPt magnetic crystal grains decreases the uniaxial magneto‐crystalline anisotropy energy, thus lowering the attainable medium coercivity.