Granular L1(0) IronPlatinum:X (001) Thin Films for Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording

The objective of this research is to study granular L10 FePt:X nanocomposite thin films to determine methods to control the microstructure and magnetic properties so that small grain size films with uniform magnetic properties may be achieved for HAMR media. The goal of this thesis is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the major factors controlling the ordering and magnetic properties of L10 FePt:X (001) nanocomposite thin films in order to provide insights that can be used for designing new media for HAMR. This research investigates the role of segregants, which are materials added into the FePt in order to isolate the FePt grains from each other, and order additions, which are materials added to reduce the temperature at which L10 FePt forms. The majority of this study is spent on the dependence of the microstructure and magnetic properties of the FePt thin films on various segregants, ordering additions, seed layers and exchange coupling in the FePt thin films.