Ordering process of sputtered FePt films

We have investigated the in situ ordering process of sputtered FePt thin films deposited on heated substrates at 300degreesC with different thicknesses. The films thinner than 50 nm were composed of nanograins (similar to5 nm) of disordered FePt phase. Recrystallization occured when films were grown thicker than 100 nm, and transformation twins were observed in recrystallized grains, in which ordering to the L1(0) structure was confirmed. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.