Electron microscopy of amorphous GdCo alloy thin films

Abstract

Transmissicn electron microscopy and electron diffraction were used to study the structural changes in amorphous GdCo films with temperature while Lorentz microscopy was employed to reveal the related magnetic changes. Amorphous GdCo films in the composition range of 75 to 85 at% Co precipitate small face centered cubic Co crystals in an amorphous matrix after heating at 400°C. As deposited these films were found to contain stripe as well as in‐plane domain structures. Magnetic bubbles as small as 800 Å could be generated in as deposited amorphous as well as partially crystallized films. In films with less than 79 at% Co the magnetic compensation point was demonstrated by a reversible reversal of domain contrast with temperature. Copyright © 1973 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA