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Thermal effects on the magnetization reversal process and its interpretation in

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 JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 107, 113912 共2010兲

Thermal effects on the magnetization reversal process and its interpretation

in perpendicular magnetic recording media
Kumar Srinivasan,a兲 B. Ramamurthy Acharya, and Gerardo Bertero
Western Digital, 1710 Automation Parkway, San Jose, California 95131, USA
共Received 21 February 2010; accepted 26 April 2010; published online 7 June 2010兲
We have studied the time-scale and temperature dependence of the magnetization reversal in
perpendicular magnetic recording media. One of the under-reported phenomena associated with this
reversal is the thermal dependence of the squareness of the magnetic hysteresis loop. Understanding
this phenomenon is important because the coercive squareness parameter Sⴱ is often used to evaluate
the strength of the magnetic exchange-coupling interactions between the grains. In this work, we
demonstrate that Sⴱ is a dynamic quantity which depends on the thermal agitation of the
magnetization, and it is imperative to take this dependence into account in interpreting magnetic and
microstructural effects. Based on the Sharrock model for the dynamic coercivity, we built an
expression for the time-scale and temperature dependence of Sⴱ in highly oriented perpendicular
magnetic recording media. Fits of experimental data to the resulting expression were then used to
ⴱ
extract the intrinsic squareness parameter Sint which originates in the thermal-independent
ⴱ
demagnetization and exchange-interaction effects. Sint was estimated for two sets of perpendicular
recording media samples. For the first set of media samples showing progressively smaller grain
sizes, the values of Sⴱ measured at the normal magnetometry time-scales of milliseconds to seconds
ⴱ
indicated progressively smaller values. In contrast, the values of the thermal-independent Sint
determined from applying the above model were progressively larger. This discrepancy can only be
explained on the basis of progressively stronger intergranular exchange coupling, which is offset by
strong thermal effects at small grain sizes. For the second set of media samples with increasingly
ⴱ
larger segregant oxide content, progressively smaller values of both Sⴱ and thermal-independent Sint
were observed, thus verifying the strong intergranular segregation effects due to greater
ⴱ
nonmagnetic grain boundary phase. The phenomenological model for thermal-independent Sint will
be helpful in interpreting the microstructural and magnetic properties of perpendicular magnetic
recording media, especially as thermal effects become important in the approach to areal densities
of 1 Tbits/ in2. © 2010 American Institute of Physics. 关doi:10.1063/1.3436583兴

I. INTRODUCTION switching fields have been well established,3 however, the

Perpendicular magnetic recording 共PMR兲 is the domi-
nant storage technology of today’s hard-disk drives with
commercial media supporting areal densities upwards of
500 Gbits/ in2. The development of low noise antiferromag-
netically coupled soft underlayers, Ru intermediate layers,
and exchange-spring type CoCrPt-oxide recording media
layers have been instrumental in this progression of PMR
media technology.1 In PMR media, the demagnetization
fields are strongest at the center of the bit. Consequently, a
small amount of magnetic exchange interaction between the
grains is considered favorable for stabilizing the grains
against thermal and demagnetization effects.2 On the other
hand, excessive exchange-coupling interactions will lead to
imperfect transition regions and media noise. The intergranu-
lar exchange interaction is usually evaluated by means of the
coercive squareness parameter Sⴱ 共defined in Sec. II兲, which
is a property of the hysteresis loop. It is frequently assumed
that large 共small兲 values of Sⴱ readily indicate strong 共weak兲
intergranular exchange interactions. Whereas the effect of
thermal agitation on the magnetization reversal process and
a兲
Electronic mail: kumar.srinivasan@wdc.com.
sensitivity of the hysteresis loop shape and squareness Sⴱ to
thermal effects has been less studied. Clarifying on this as-
pect becomes particularly important since thermal stability
must be maintained despite very small grain sizes as areal
storage densities approach 1 Tbits/ in2. Previous studies
have also focused on the effect of thermal agitation on the
switching field distribution of PMR media, but failed to
make the connection with microstructural and magnetic
properties.4,5 In this study, we report on a general expression
that we worked out for the temperature and time-scale de-
pendence of Sⴱ in PMR media, and its application to the
interpretation of experimental data.
II. THEORY
For the purpose of this analysis, we assumed an en-
semble of highly oriented Stoner–Wohlfarth type particles
with a distribution in the thermal stability factor KuV / kBT
共Ku is the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant, V is the
switching volume, kB is Boltzmann’s constant, and T is the
temperature兲 to constitute the PMR media. For the sake of
simplicity, we further assumed that the dispersions in the
anisotropy constant and easy-axis angular orientation are
both small in comparison to the dispersion in the grain vol-

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113912-2 Srinivasan, Acharya, and Bertero J. Appl. Phys. 107, 113912 共2010兲

FIG. 2. 共Color online兲 Time-scale dependence of Sⴱ is plotted based on Eq.

共1兲 for three ensembles with different values of 共KuV / kBT兲min but same
共KuV / kBT兲avg.
FIG. 1. Definition of various parameters associated with a hysteresis loop.

different ensembles. To obtain this dependence, f 0 value of

ume, so that we may disregard the former. This is a generally
1 ⫻ 109 GHz, and n value of 2 were used.7 For all three
valid assumption for PMR media where the major compo-
ensembles 共KuV / kBT兲avg value of 100 was assumed, whereas
nent in the switching field distribution is the dispersion in the
the 共KuV / kBT兲min was varied between values of 50, 75, and
grain size.6 Also assuming that the particles are noninteract-
80. It is clear that as the value of 共KuV / kBT兲min in the en-
ing for the time-being, the hysteresis loop for such an en-
semble is increased, the slope of Sⴱ versus t becomes less
semble is shown in Fig. 1. Here M R and M S are the remanent
steep. This means that, at the normal magnetometry time-
and saturation magnetization, respectively, and Hc is the dy-
scales of measurement of the order of milliseconds to sec-
namic coercivity or the average switching field of the en-
onds, the Sⴱ values of the three ensembles would appear
semble. Hn is the nucleation field which corresponds to the
vastly different. However, at the time-scale of tens of nano-
point where the magnetization reversal begins and is re-
seconds which is the domain of magnetic recording, the Sⴱ
corded. Herein, only the magnitudes of these quantities are
values appear closer together. If demagnetizing fields and
considered, and not the sign. ␹共Hc兲 is the susceptibility at the
intergranular exchange-coupling interactions were absent,
coercivity point, and the coercive squareness is defined by
the Sⴱ values would tend toward unity for all ensembles.
Sⴱ = 1 − M R / Hc ⴱ ␹共Hc兲. For this ensemble of particles,
Figure 3 shows the temperature dependence of Sⴱ for
␹共Hc兲 ⬇ M R / Hc − Hn, and consequently Sⴱ ⬇ Hn / Hc. Since
two different ensembles, again as displayed in Eq. 共1兲. In this
the dispersion in Ku and easy-axis orientation was disre-
case, we have to consider the temperature dependence of the
garded, this implies that when the thermal agitation of the
anisotropy constant Ku as well. We approximated this using
magnetization is minimal, i.e., at very fast time-scales of
the relationship Ku = K0 − K1 · T where K0 and K1 are con-
measurement or when T → 0 K, both Hc and Hn will tend
stants. This linear relation is a reasonable approximation for
toward the same Ho. Ho is the thermal-independent switching
CoCrPt alloys.8 To obtain this plot, the time-scale t was
field according to the Sharrock analysis of the dynamic
taken to be 0.1 s. K0 and K1 values of 1 ⫻ 107 ergs/ cm3 and
coercivity.3 As a result, the hysteresis loop will also tend to
2 ⫻ 104 ergs/ cm3 were assumed, respectively. This gives a
become more square and Sⴱ will tend towards a value of
value of 4 ⫻ 106 ergs/ cm3 at 300 K, which is close to the
unity. This observation suggests that a basis for the thermal
expected value for the CoCrPt-oxide PMR media. The
dependence of Sⴱ may be established in the thermal depen-
共KuV / kBT兲avg value of 100 was assumed for both ensembles
dence of Hc and Hn. When one considers that Hn is the
and this corresponds to the average thermal stability factor at
switching field corresponding to the smallest recorded ther-
mal stability factor in the ensemble, i.e., 共KuV / kBT兲min, and
Hc is the switching field corresponding to the average ther-
mal stability factor of the ensemble, i.e., 共KuV / kBT兲avg, based
on a Sharrock analysis of Hc and Hn, it is then possible to
formulate the following expression for the thermal depen-
dence of Sⴱ:

Sⴱ共T,t兲 ⬇
Hn
1− 冋冉 冊k BT
K uV min
ln共f 0 ⴱ t兲册 1/n

共1兲

冋冉 冊 册
= .
Hc k BT 1/n
1− ln共f 0 ⴱ t兲
K uV avg

Here, f 0 is the attempt frequency, t is the field-holding time,

FIG. 3. 共Color online兲 Temperature dependence of Sⴱ is plotted based on Eq.
and n is a response exponent. Figure 2 shows the dependence 共1兲 for two ensembles with different values of 共KuV / kBT兲min but same
of Sⴱ on the time-scale t as displayed in Eq. 共1兲 for three 共KuV / kBT兲avg.

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113912-3 Srinivasan, Acharya, and Bertero J. Appl. Phys. 107, 113912 共2010兲

300 K. The 共KuV / kBT兲min was varied between values of 50

and 75 for the two ensembles, and also corresponded to a
temperature of 300 K. It is clear that the ensemble with the
smaller value of 共KuV / kBT兲min shows a steeper dependence
on temperature. As T → 0 K and the thermal agitation be-
comes less important, the Sⴱ values for both ensembles ap-
proach unity.
A phenomenological basis for the thermal dependence of
ⴱ
S was established above. However, the effect of demagne-
tization and intergranular exchange-coupling interaction
fields was not accounted for. The demagnetization fields
shear the hysteresis and tend to reduce Sⴱ from the value of
unity. The intergranular exchange fields promote co-
operative reversal and tend to increase Sⴱ toward the value of
unity. It may be reasonably assumed that the demagnetiza-
tion and exchange effects do not depend explicitly on the
thermal agitation of the magnetization. Although the demag-
netization fields depend on the value of M S which in turn
changes with the temperature, the change in M S is small for
temperatures well below the Curie temperature, which is the
regime studied. Under these assumptions, Eq. 共1兲 may be
corrected as below

冋冉 冊 册
FIG. 4. TEM micrographs from sample: 共a兲 A1, 共b兲 A2, and 共c兲 A3. The
1/n
k BT grain size is also noted.
1− ln共f 0 ⴱ t兲
K uV ⴱ
Sⴱ共T,t兲 = min
+ 共Sint 共2兲

冋冉 冊 册
− 1兲
1/n
k BT III. EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS
1− ln共f 0 ⴱ t兲
K uV avg Two sets of PMR media samples—A and B, were pre-
pared by reactive sputtering on NiP-plated AlMg disks. Both
ⴱ
sets of samples had Ni/Ru intermediate layers and
Sint constitutes the intrinsic coercive squareness parameter, CoCrPt– SiO2 based magnetic recording layers. For the pur-
which originates from the thermal-independent demagnetiza- pose of this study, no soft underlayers were used. For set A,
tion and exchange interaction effects. For a field-sweep pro- the intermediate layer stack was modified to produce PMR
ⴱ
cess carried out at fixed temperature, Sint can be obtained media with average grain size decreasing from A1 to A3. For
using the following procedure. set B, the oxide content in the recording layer was increased
共i兲 Measure the hysteresis loop at different time-scales t from B1 to B3 through injecting additional O2 gas in the
and evaluate Sⴱ at each point. sputter gas mixture. Crystallographic orientation was mea-
共ii兲 Obtain 共KuV / kBT兲avg from a Sharrock analysis of the sured using an x-ray diffractometer 共XRD兲 with Cu K␣ ra-
Hc共t兲 data. diation. Grain size was estimated using transmission electron
共iii兲 Use Eq. 共2兲 formulated above for Sⴱ共T , t兲 to fit the microscopy 共TEM兲 in the plan-view mode. The time-scale
data, with 共KuV / kBT兲min and Sintⴱ
as the best-fit dependence of Hc and Sⴱ were measured using a polar
magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometer in the field-sweep
parameters.
mode. To first order in approximation, the field-holding time
A similar procedure may be outlined in order to deter- was estimated as the inverse of the sweep rate. The tempera-
ⴱ
mine Sint from a temperature dependent scan of the hyster- ture dependence of Hc and Sⴱ were measured using a super-
esis. conducting physical property measurement system 共PPMS兲
magnetometer. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy Ku was es-
共i兲 Measure the hysteresis loop at different temperature timated at 300 K using a Torque magnetometer. Subse-
points T keeping the time-scales t fixed and evaluate ⴱ
quently, Sint was estimated for samples sets A and B using the
Sⴱ at each point. procedure outlined in Sec. II. The results are discussed be-
共ii兲 Obtain 共KuV / kBT兲avg at say, 300 K from a Sharrock low.
analysis of the dynamic coercivity Hc共t兲 data.
共iii兲 Substitute for the temperature dependence of Ku with IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Ku = K0 − K1 · T with K0 and K1 as known constants.
A. Time-scale dependence of Sⴱ
共iv兲 Use Eq. 共2兲 formulated above for Sⴱ共T , t兲 to fit the
ⴱ
data, with 共KuV / kBT兲min at 300 K and Sint as the best- Figure 4 shows the plan-view micrographs obtained by
fit parameters. TEM from samples A1, A2, and A3. The estimated grain size

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113912-4 Srinivasan, Acharya, and Bertero J. Appl. Phys. 107, 113912 共2010兲

TABLE I. Crystallographic and magnetic properties from sample sets A and B are listed.

Ku b
ⴱ
Sample ⌬␪50 a
共ergs/ cm3兲 共KuV / kBT兲avg c
共KuV / kBT兲min d
Sint d

A1 2.9° 3.5⫻ 106 126 44 0.78

A2 2.7° 3.6⫻ 106 104 35 0.84
A3 2.5° 3.6⫻ 106 71 27 0.91
B1 3.1° 4.2⫻ 106 87 37 0.79
B2 3.2° 4.3⫻ 106 93 39 0.74
B3 3.3° 4.5⫻ 106 95 39 0.73
a
Measured by XRD rocking curve of Co 共00• 2兲 peak.
b
Measured by Torque magnetometry.
c
Evaluated from Sharrock analysis of Hc共t兲 data.
d
Obtained as fit-parameters from best fit to Eq. 共2兲.

was 7.8⫾ 1.1 nm in A1, 6.8⫾ 1.3 nm in A2, and

FIG. 5. 共Color online兲 Kerr hysteresis loops for samples from set A mea-
sured at 100 Oe/s sweep rate.
FIG. 6. 共Color online兲 Plot of Hc vs time-scale of measurement for samples
from set A. The lines represent best-fits to the data based on a Sharrock
analysis.
FIG. 7. 共Color online兲 Plot of Sⴱ vs time-scale of measurement for samples
from set A. The lines represent best-fits to the data based on Eq. 共2兲.
6.1⫾ 1.1 nm in A3 whereas the grain pitch, i.e., center-to-
center distance was 8.6⫾ 1.1 nm in A1, 7.2⫾ 1.0 nm in A2,
and 6.8⫾ 1.0 nm in A3. Accordingly, both the grain size and
pitch were observed to decrease from A1 to A3. The perpen-
dicular orientation, i.e., the ⌬␪50 of the recording layer, as
measured by XRD rocking curve scans 共not shown here兲 is
noted in Table I and was 3.0° or better for set A samples. The
values of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy Ku, also noted in
Table I, was unchanging at ⬃3.5– 3.6⫻ 106 ergs/ cm3. Fig-
ure 5 shows the hysteresis loops from the three set A samples
at a field-sweep rate of 100 Oe/s, i.e., time-scale of 0.01 s. It
is clear that Hc and Hn become smaller from A1 to A3, but
the change in squareness is less apparent. Figure 6 is a plot
of the time-scale dependence of Hc and Sharrock-type fits to
the same for set A. Table I lists the 共KuV / kBT兲avg obtained
using the Sharrock analysis of the Hc共t兲 data. Since there was
no measurable change in Ku, the decrease in 共KuV / kBT兲avg
from 126 in A1 to 71 in A3 is consistent with the decrease in
the average grain size and consequently, the switching vol-
ume.
Figure 7 is a plot of the time-scale dependence of Sⴱ for
set A. Also presented is the fitted line to Eq. 共2兲. It is note-
worthy that while Sⴱ increases for all three samples at shorter
time-scales, the increase becomes steeper from A1 to A3.
ⴱ
The values of 共KuV / kBT兲min and Sint , which were obtained as
best-fit parameters, are listed in Table I. The decrease in
共KuV / kBT兲min from 44 in A1 to 27 in A3 follows the decrease
in 共KuV / kBT兲avg and is due to the smaller grain size and
nucleation fields in these samples. It is interesting to note
ⴱ
however that Sint increased from 0.78 in A1 to 0.91 in A3.
This can be explained as follows: for a given volume fraction
of the segregant oxide in the recording layer, when the core
grain size decreases, the grain boundary width becomes
smaller and adjacent grains become more tightly packed.
This leads to increased magnetic exchange interaction be-
ⴱ
tween the grains and increased Sint values. However, as the
grain sizes become smaller, the thermal agitation also be-
comes significantly stronger, and hence the steep fall-off at
larger time-scales of measurement.
It should be pointed out that the evaluation of Sⴱ at sim-
ply one particular time-scale is not sufficient to interpret
magnetic and microstructural effects. In fact, it may lead to
misleading interpretations. Namely, at the magnetometry

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113912-5 Srinivasan, Acharya, and Bertero J. Appl. Phys. 107, 113912 共2010兲

FIG. 8. 共Color online兲 Kerr hysteresis loops for samples from set B mea-
sured at 100 Oe/s sweep rate. FIG. 10. 共Color online兲 Plot of Sⴱ vs time-scale of measurement for samples
from set B. The lines represent best-fits to the data based on Eq. 共2兲.
time-scale of milliseconds to seconds, the apparent decrease
in Sⴱ from A1 to A3 could be wrongly interpreted to indicate scales. Moreover, the extent of the increase is similar for all
that intergranular exchange coupling weakened on decreas- three samples, which suggests that thermal effects are also
ing the grain size. The whole picture can be gauged only by not very different. Table I lists the values of 共KuV / kBT兲min
taking the thermal effects into account. ⴱ
and Sint which were obtained as best-fit parameters.
ⴱ
Figure 8 is a plot of the hysteresis loop from sample set 共KuV / kBT兲min was similar at about 37 to 39, whereas Sint
B measured at a sweep rate of 100 Oe/s, i.e., a time-scale of ⴱ
decreased from 0.79 in B1 to 0.73 in B3. The decrease in Sint
0.01 s. To provide a reminder, increasing levels of O2 was is most likely due to enhanced intergranular segregation from
injected into the sputter gas mixture for these samples. Hc B1 to B3. This also corroborates that the decrease in Sⴱ from
increased slightly from B1 to B3, and the loops appear to B1 to B3, observed at normal magnetometry time-scales, is
become slightly less square. There was no appreciable actually caused by segregation effects and not thermal ef-
change in Hn. The ⌬␪50 values are listed in Table I, it varied fects.
slightly between 3.1°–3.3°. Ku on the other hand, increased
from 4.2⫻ 106 ergs/ cm3 in B1 to 4.5⫻ 106 ergs/ cm3 in B3.
This increase is most likely due to enhanced grain boundary B. Temperature dependence of Sⴱ
segregation.9 At the higher O2 levels, Cr in the grain core Figure 11 shows the hysteresis loops from samples A1
oxidizes and segregates to the grain boundary, thus providing and A2 measured at different temperatures ranging from 50–
increased concentration levels of magnetic Co in the grain 295 K. The effect of thermal agitation of the magnetization
core. Figure 9 is a plot of the time-scale dependence of Hc
and Sharrock-type fits to the same for set B. Table I lists the
共KuV / kBT兲avg obtained using the Sharrock analysis of the
Hc共t兲 data—it increases from 87 in B1 to 95 in B3. Given
that both Ku and 共KuV / kBT兲avg increased by about 10%, it is
likely that the increase in the latter was mostly caused by the
former with little or no change in the grain size or switching
volume.
Figure 10 is a plot of the time-scale dependence of Sⴱ for
set B with the fitted line to Eq. 共2兲 also presented. For all
three samples, Sⴱ increased as expected at the shorter time-

FIG. 9. 共Color online兲 Plot of Hc vs time-scale of measurement for samples

from set B. The lines represent best-fits to the data based on a Sharrock FIG. 11. 共Color online兲 Plots of hysteresis loops measured at different tem-
analysis. peratures as noted for samples A1 and A2.

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113912-6 Srinivasan, Acharya, and Bertero
FIG. 12. 共Color online兲 Plot of Hc vs temperature for samples A1 and A2.
The lines represent linear fits to the data. The Ho values obtained from
extrapolation to 0 K are noted in the inset.
on the squareness of the hysteresis loops is clearly evident—
the loops in both cases tend to become increasingly square at
lower temperatures, but not wholly square even at 50 K. For
both samples, the coercivity increased as the temperature
was lowered, partly because of the increase in Ku. The coef-
ficients K0 and K1 in Ku共T兲 = K0 − K1 · T were determined from
the temperature dependence of Hc as explained below.
Figure 12 shows the plot of Hc versus T for both A1 and
A2. Also included are linear fits to the Hc共T兲 data. The
thermal-independent switching field, Ho was obtained from
extrapolating Hc共T兲 to 0 K. The values are listed in the inset
of Fig. 12, and were 7400 Oe for A1 and 7050 Oe for A2.
The value of Ku at 0 K, i.e., K0 was then obtained from using
the relation K0 = HoM S / 2 where M S is the saturation magne-
tization at 0 K. This step gave K0 values of 2.3
⫻ 107 ergs/ cm3 for A1 and 2.2⫻ 107 ergs/ cm3 for A2, re-
spectively. Since the Ku values at 300 K were previously
known from experimental torque magnetometry measure-
ments 共listed in Table I兲, and so K1 could then be estimated
to be about 6.5⫻ 104 ergs/ cm3 K for A1 and 6.2
⫻ 104 ergs/ cm3 K for A2.
Figure 13 is a plot of the temperature dependence of Sⴱ
for A1 and A2. It is noteworthy that not only do the Sⴱ values
for both samples increase with decreasing temperature, but
also the increase is slightly steeper for A2 compared to A1.
As a result, the Sⴱ values of A2 are lower than that of A1 at
room temperature, but are slightly higher at near zero tem-
ⴱ 2
FIG. 13. 共Color online兲 Plot of S vs temperature for samples A1 and A2.
The lines represent best-fits to the data based on Eq. 共2兲. The values of
ⴱ 3
共KuV / kBT兲min and Sint corresponding to the best-fit are noted in the inset.
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J. Appl. Phys. 107, 113912 共2010兲
peratures where thermal effects become small. This observa-
tion is consistent with the time-scale dependence of Sⴱ in
these samples, as was plotted in Fig. 7.
Also shown in Fig. 13 is the best-fit of the Sⴱ共T , t兲 data
ⴱ
to Eq. 共2兲. The values of 共KuV / kBT兲min and Sint , which were
obtained as best-fit parameters, are listed in the inset to the
figure. For this fit, the K0 and K1 values estimated above, and
the 共KuV / kBT兲avg values estimated at 300 K 共listed in Table I兲
were used. The time-scale t was set to be 10 s, which is
typical of PPMS magnetometers. In this way, 共KuV / kBT兲min
at 300 K was estimated to be 43 and 37 for A1 and A2,
ⴱ
respectively, whereas Sint was estimated to be 0.79 and 0.81,
respectively. As was explained earlier with regard to the
ⴱ
time-scale dependence of Sⴱ, the higher value of Sint in
sample A2 compared to A1 can be explained on the basis of
its smaller grain size which leads to enhanced intergranular
exchange interactions. This is manifest only at very low tem-
peratures when the thermal agitation of the magnetization is
ⴱ
considerably reduced. The values of 共KuV / kBT兲min and Sint
extracted here are slightly different from that obtained from
the time-scale dependence of Sⴱ and listed in Table I. One of
the reasons for this could be due to the fact that the hysteresis
data was noisy especially at low temperatures. It was difficult
to obtain a clean hysteresis loop at low temperatures after
subtracting for the background substrate signal 共the paramag-
netic Al-Mg substrate also exhibited a temperature depen-
dence which had to be accounted for兲. Additionally, the lin-
ear temperature dependence assumed for Ku is only an
approximate expression, and is doubtful at very low
temperatures.10 Nevertheless, the values are in reasonably
close agreement, and both the time-scale and temperature
ⴱ
data display similar trends in 共KuV / kBT兲min and Sint from A1
to A2. This exercise serves to corroborate the validity of Eq.
共2兲 as applied to model the temperature dependence of Sⴱ.
Importantly, the above analysis also serves to emphasize
that interpreting magnetic and microstructural effects from
hysteresis data collected at only one temperature point can
lead to erroneous conclusions. It is important to take the
thermal effects into account.
V. CONCLUSIONS
An analytical model for the time-scale and temperature
dependence of the hysteresis squareness Sⴱ in highly oriented
perpendicular recording media was presented. When applied
to a set of samples that exhibited strong thermal effects from
shrinking grain sizes, the model suggested that the thermal
ⴱ
independent intrinsic squareness Sint increased due to stron-
ger intergranular exchange interactions. For a second set of
samples with increasing levels of grain boundary segregant
oxide but similar thermal stabilities, the model suggested that
ⴱ
Sint actually did decrease. The proposed model can help to
distinguish between thermal and segregation effects on the
microstructure and magnetic properties of perpendicular re-
cording media.
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