The proposed program will study the feasibility and develop the processing procedure for the construction of a high performance, high density, magneto-optical, reversible information storage media based on multilayer structures composed of a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic metallic layer. A number of multilayer structures have been proposed in the past. These include Pd/Co, Pt/Co, Pd/Fe, Tb/Fe, and Au/Co. These multilayer systems have shown performance superior to the traditionally used rare-earth -transition-metal alloys. All the multilayer structures proposed in the past use the conventional thin film deposition processes of evaporation or sputtering to deposit the thin films. As the required structures must consist of ultra-thin (one or two monolayers) with ultra-sharp, ultra-smooth interfaces and no interdiffusion between the layers can be tolerated, the vapor deposition processes, currently in use, can not achieve the surface roughness requirements of RMS values in the single Angstrom range. The proprietary deposition process, WIT-TIFID, developed by the proposer, can provide the all the above required thin film qualities essential for high performance devices. This program will develop the WIT-TIFID deposition process for magnetic metal multilayer structures (MMMS) to be used in magneto-optical (MO) recording media applications and show the advantages and superior perforrnance capabilities of the WIT-TIFID magnetic metal multilayer structures (MMMS) for applications in high performance, high density, reversible, information storage media technology. Potential Commercial Applications of the Research High Density reversible (read/write) memory ; Digital Videodisc (DVD) High density compact disc ; Memory systems; Gas sensors/ Hydrocarbon sensors ; Photoelectrods ; Water decomposition
