Effects of Pd predeposition layer on magnetic properties in compositionally modulated Co/Pd multilayers

We have investigated the effects of Pd predeposition layer on magnetic properties in compositionally modulated Co/Pd multilayers. The samples were prepared at the Ar sputtering pressure of 10 mTorr by dc magnetron sputtering. The thickness of the Pd predeposition layer was varied from 0 to 1000 Å with a 100 Å interval. It was observed that the magnetic properties of the saturation magnetization, the perpendicular anisotropy energy, and the coercivity remained relatively constant until the thickness of the predeposition layer was up to 600 Å. However, those were rapidly increased with the predeposition-layer thickness when the thickness was thicker than 600 Å. The results were caused by a change in the microstructure of the multilayers deposited on different predeposition-layer thicknesses.