Interface effects on an ultrathin Co film in multilayers based on the organic semiconductor Alq3

The effect of the AlOx barrier thickness on magnetic and morphological properties of Ta/Co/(AlOx)/Alq(3)/Si hybrid structures was systematically studied by means of atomic force microscopy, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). All used techniques pointed out that the barrier thickness of 2 nm is required to obtain a magnetically good cobalt layer on top of Alq(3). Co-59 NMR measurements revealed that the AlOx barrier gives rise to the formation of an interface layer with defective cobalt favoring growth of bulk cobalt with good magnetic properties. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3505495]