Magnetic properties of CoSm thin films with Cr/sub 80/V/sub 20/ and Cr as underlayers

We investigated the static and time-dependent magnetic properties of thin CoSm films (6-14 nm) on CrV underlayers. We measured remanent coercivities of up to 4.5 kOe and viscosity coefficients as low as 8%/decade for 14-nn films with remanent moment thickness product of 0.49 memu/cm/sup 2/. We compared magnetic hardness, interactions, viscosity, and anisotropy with similar films grown on Cr underlayers, and found that CrV constitutes a better underlayer for CoSm thin film media, most probably because of improved epitaxy at the interface and a more favorable interface, microstructure, and topography.