Fabrication of TERFENOL-D/PZT bilayer structures for the study of voltage control of magnetization easy axis

Abstract

Polycrystalline TERFENOL-D/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) bilayer films were deposited using RF magnetron sputtering on Pt(1 1 1)/ MgO(1 0 0) substrates for the purpose of studying voltage control of magnetization easy axis. TERFENOL-D films deposited at 500 degrees C on PZT show in-plane anisotropy. In our samples where the voltage is applied perpendicular to the PZT film plane, TERFENOL-D films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are only suitable for the above mentioned study. TERFENOL- D/PZT bilayer films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be obtained by annealing in a perpendicular magnetic field at temperatures between 200 and 350 degrees C. However, deposition and annealing of TERFENOL-D films at high-temperatures (>= 350 degrees C) causes degradation of the ferroelectric properties of PZT. In order to preserve the good switching characteristics of PZT. lms and to observe this effect at low voltages, TERFENOL-D films have to be deposited and annealed at low temperatures (<350 degrees C). (C) 2006 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.