Ni/Pt multilayers: growth and magneto-optics

Ni/Pt multilayers were grown on glass, Si and polyimide substrates by e‐beam evaporation under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The deposition temperature was maintained just above room temperature, Tdep ∼ 40 °C. X‐ray diffraction experiments showed that the samples have almost as high quality as similar ones grown at higher temperatures. Atomic Force Microscopy images revealed small nanocrystallites with diameters in the range of 15‐30 nm. The film roughness and the size distribution of the crystallites were found to be substrate‐dependent. It is shown, however, that differences in the morphology among samples with the same Ni and Pt thickness grown on different substrates do not affect the magnetic and magneto‐optic properties. The magneto‐optic response is discussed with respect to the spin‐polarization of Pt at interface proximity with Ni, recently observed in Ni/Pt multilayers. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)