Magneto-optical properties of PtMnSb films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering.

PtMnSb Heusler alloy films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering with mosaic targets. Film with a polar Kerr rotation and Clb-PtMnSb (111) diffraction peak was obtained on room temperature glass substrates. The composition range of these films was 19≤x≤32, 35≤y≤46, 28≤z≤38 for PtxMnySbz(x+y+z =100).During DC bias sputtering, Sb and Mn contents were selectively decreased by increasing DC bias voltage. For the film deposited at 400°C on a glass substrate, the polar Kerr rotation was found to be 1.18° at the glass side when an external DC magnetic field 7kOe was applied in a perpendicular direction. A columner structure was seen by SEM and some perpendicular component of magnetization was detected by VSM. But these were not enough to exceed the dimagnetization field.