(Co+Si)/Pd films with a high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Co/Pd layered films with Si added to the Co layers have been found to show a high perpendicular anisotropy with K2.1×105 J m-3, good coercivity, high coercivity ratio, and high remanence ratio. Samples with thin (Co+Si) layers contain uniform, narrow stripe domains. The microstructure consists of a large-scale polycrystalline structure, a fine-scale structure that may be amorphous, and a banded structure in which CoSi-rich and CoSi2-rich regions are separated, in addition to regions of Co-Pd alloy and Pd. Clear interfaces between the (Co+Si) and the Pd layers were not found.