Exchange-Coupling Field of MgO/Cr₇₀Al₃₀/Fe₁₉Ni₈₁ Films on (100) Si

Abstract

The MgOICr7oAl3QIFel9Nisl layered films with different MgO buffer layer thicknesses were prepared on (100) Si substrates in order to alter the grain size and the lattice constant of the antiferromagnetic layer. The exchange-coupling field was found to consist of the intra-grain intrinsic exchange-coupling field and the inter-grain exchagne-coupling field. The former field is inversely proportional to the product of the lattice constant and the grain size. The latter field changes its sign by changing the thickness of the MgO buffer layer.