Xenon-ion irradiation of Co/Si bilayers: Effects of interface structure and ion energy

Abstract

Heavy-ion irradiation of ferromagnetic thin layers changes their micromagnetic and microstructural properties, due to the production of defects, relaxation or build-up of stress, or changes of grain size. When the ion range exceeds the layer thickness, ion mixing processes take place, leading to the formation of silicide phases. The present study deals with CO(30 or 55 nm)/Si bilayers irradiated at room temperature with 100- or 200 keV Xe ions to fluences of up to 15 x 10(15)/cm(2). The Si(100) wafers were either crystalline or pre-amorphized by 1 keV Ar+ implantation. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, in-plane magneto-optical Kerr effect, and X-ray diffraction served to analyse the samples before and after irradiation. The results will be compared with those obtained for other heavy-ions for Co/Si bilayers and in similar studies on Fe/Si bilayers. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.