Magnetic orienting device for thin film deposition and method of use

A method of magnetically orienting a film on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• mounting the substrate on a substrate holder within a vacuum chamber;
• mounting a target of magnetically orientable material adjacent to the substrate within the vacuum chamber;
• depositing a thin film of the magnetically orientable material on a surface of the substrate;
• locating a plate-shaped electromagnet adjacent to the substrate holder and in alignment with the target and the substrate holder, remote outside of from the target, and outside of the vacuum chamber;
• orienting a plate-shaped core of the electromagnet parallel to the surface of the substrate;
• sizing a surface of the plate-shaped core larger in area than the substrate surface;
• using the plate-shaped electromagnet to apply a magnetic field that produces an average alignment between magnetic domains of the deposited film within one degree of uniaxial anisotropy;
• and
• powering the electromagnet with an alternating current at a cycle rate less than one hertz for more evenly depositing the magnetically orientable material without producing substantial eddy currents in the electromagnet.