Lattice imaging of Ag-Co thin films using energy-filtered TEM

The structure of Ag/sub 65/Co/sub 35/ thin films is characterized using energy-filtered high resoimaging TEM and electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI). Cosputtered Ag-Co films were prepared according to protocols that produced maximum giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in thicker films with the same composition. Elemental maps produced using ESI reveal 50 nm diameter Ag particles embedded in a granular alloy matrix. Cobalt maps of these films show uniform cobalt distribution at the spatial resolution of the technique (about 2 nm), indicating that distinct cobalt particles, if they exist, are very small. Energy-filtered lattice imaging and digital image processing were used to search for such particles, but none were found.