Microstructural development in Co-Cr films for perpendicular recording media

A series of Co-Cr films have been examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in bright/dark field imaging, and selected area diffraction (SAD) as well as convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED). Examination of the early stages of deposition by a DC magnetron provides evidence that amorphous Co-Cr films form prior to small randomly oriented equiaxed grains. Occasionally, a mixture of equiaxed and elongated grains were observed in the plane-view. Furthermore, microvoids are present running parallel to the columnar boundaries in cross-section view and at grain boundaries/edges in plane-view. In addition to conical and straight columnar grains, a mixture of small equiaxed and elongated grains were observed in cross-section view.