Surfactant induced smooth and symmetric interfaces in Cu/Co multilayers

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that Ag surfactant during ion beam sputtering can create smooth, symmetric, and thermally stable interfaces in Cu/Co multilayers by balancing surface free energies.

Contribution

It introduces a surfactant-assisted growth method to achieve symmetric interfaces in Cu/Co multilayers, enhancing their stability.

Findings

Ag surfactant balances surface free energy asymmetry

Interfaces become sharp and symmetric with surfactant

Multilayers show improved thermal stability

Abstract

In this work we studied Ag surfactant induced growth of Cu/Co multilayers. The Cu/Co multilayers were deposited using Ag surfactant by ion beam sputtering technique. It was found that Ag surfactant balances the asymmetry between the surface free energy of Cu and Co. As a result, the Co-on-Cu and Cu-on-Co interfaces become sharp and symmetric and thereby improve the thermal stability of the multilayer. On the basis of obtained results, a mechanism leading to symmetric and stable interfaces in Cu/Co multilayers is discussed.