MAGNETIC PROPERTY ANALYSIS OF MATERIALS FABRICATED BY SPUTTERING USING VSM AND MFM MEASUREMENTS

This thesis presents a systematic analysis of the magnetic properties of ultra-thin Cobalt (Co) films within Co/Platinum (Pt) monolayer and multilayer structures, fabricated via magnetron sputtering using Argon and Krypton gas. The study's core objective is to understand how controlling the Co thickness and the number of interfaces influences the material's magnetic anisotropy, a key parameter for advanced sensor technology, and understand which gas is better to use in order to have different applications. Using Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM), we quantified the transition from dominant Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy (PMA) to a clear In-Plane Magnetic Anisotropy (IMA). This evolution highlights the competition between interface anisotropy and bulk shape anisotropy. Subsequent Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) measurements provided direct visualization of the magnetic domains to understand better the real behavior of the studied materials. It has been seen that Krypton-sputtered samples showed better results in terms of surface quality, saturation magnetization and induced magnetic moments. These qualities of Kr-grown films offer significant advantages for device manufacturing. They make it possible to build more reliable and robust sensors, including MTJs, with highly uniform layers and better interfaces. Even at small thicknesses, this system would have a higher PMA. Furthermore, a higher DMI allows for the creation of faster and more energy-efficient devices.