Magnetism and Microstructure: Imaging Techniques and Structure-Property Correlations in Information Storage Materials

Future development of ultrahigh density magnetic recording depends on developing microstructures of multicomponent and multilayered materials at the nanometer length scale. This can only be achieved by a dynamic iteration between growth of thin film structures and appropriate characterization of the physical, chemical and magnetic microstructure at relevant length scales. Electron-optic scattering, imaging and spectroscopy techniques are ideally matched to the challenge of carrying out such measurements. In this article, comprehensive reviews of the evolution of magnetic recording technology from a microstructure perspective and the status of electron microscopy based techniques are followed by examples of the application of these techniques in determining appropriate structure-property correlations. These include interface anisotropy in Co/Pt multilayers, temperature-dependent spin-reorientation transitions in c-axis oriented Co-Cr films, interface roughness and GMR in Fe/Cr multilayers and quantitative measurements of Cr-segregation and media noise in Co-Cr-Pt-X alloys.