Abstract
(Co60C40)(97)Ta-3 and Co60C40 films with thickness 30 nm were prepared by cosputtering Co, Ta, and C onto C-buffered glass substrates. The as-deposited (Co60C40)(97)Ta-3 and Co60C40 films were amorphous and nonferromagnetic. These films became magnetic upon annealing and the magnetic performance of annealed (Co60C40)(97)Ta-3 films are better than that of annealed Co60C40 films at the same annealing condition. Magnetic patterning (line array) of the as-deposited (Co60C40)(97)Ta-3 films was realized by subjecting it to electron-beam radiation using a focused 30 keV beam with a current of 7.1 nA and a dwell time per line of 0.75 s and longer. By increasing the dwell time, the whole region where an electron beam was scanned became magnetic with clear domain structures because of thermally activated diffusion. The required dwell time of magnetically patterning nonmagnetic (Co60C40)(97)Ta-3 thin films (0.75 s) is much shorter than that of Co60C40 films (3.8 s). The magnetic measurements show that the lines [(Co60C40)(97)Ta-3] and dots (Co60C40) are magnetically soft. The present method of magnetically patterning a nonmagnetic film has potential application for nanoscale solid magnetic devices. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.