Study of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in ultra-thin Co-Cr films evaluated by anomalous Hall effect

Magnetic characteristics and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Co-Cr thin films as thin as several nanometers were determined by means of anomalous Hall effect measurements. Since the Hall voltage, V/sub H/, represents the perpendicular component of magnetization of the film, it is suitable for evaluation of magnetic characteristics in very thin films to observe V/sub H/-N loops under a canted magnetic field H. The initial growth region of films deposited at substrate temperatures at around 100/spl deg/C had greater perpendicular anisotropy, due to better c-axis orientation, than those deposited at other substrate temperatures. V/sub H/-H loop observations render a canted magnetic field revealed that the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in 8 nm-thick Co-Cr films is sufficiently larger, but the magnetization process can be dependent on the specimen size in high magnetic fields.