Highly coercive electrodeposited FePt films by postannealing in hydrogen

The properties of electrodeposited films subsequently annealed in H-2 are reported and compared with those of vacuum-annealed samples. Annealing in hydrogen reduces the oxygen content incorporated during electrodeposition, resulting in significantly higher magnetization values. Phase formation is enhanced by hydrogen and L1(0) ordering starts at temperatures as low as 350degreesC. In addition, grain growth is hindered. These effects contribute to the high coercivity of 1.1 T achieved after annealing at 600degreesC in H-2. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.