Physical Properties of CoFe/IrMn Spin-Valves Prepared Using Ion Beam Sputtering with an Xe-H₂ Mixture Gas

Abstract

Co90Fe10/Cu/Co90Fe10/Ir25Mn75 spin-valves with a Ta seed layer were prepared by ion beam sputtering. Improvements in magnetoresistive (MR) and magnetic properties were obtained by adding H2 to Xe sputtering gas. Specifically, the coercivity in the free Co90Fe10 layer considerably decreased as the H2 flow rate was increased. Furthermore, exchange coupling between the Ir25Mn75 and pinned Co90Fe10 layers became stronger in the preparation under the higher H2 flow rate. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy observations suggest that micro-crystallization of each layer is responsible for improving the MR and magnetic properties.

Influence of (Ni81Fe19)100−xCrx seed layer on structure and magnetic properties of NiFe/PtMn bilayers

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] It is generally accepted that the exchange bias between AFM/FM films is primarily an interfacial phenomenon and microstructure characteristics of films such as roughness of interface, [13][14][15] grain size, [16][17][18] crystal texture, [19][20][21] as well as the ordering degree of AFM materials and others 22 have important influence on this effect. 1,2 Although this effect has been well known for more than 50 years and is already extensively exploited in magnetic sensors and magnetic random access memory, 3,4 the fundamental mechanisms responsible for exchange bias still remain elusive.…”

Effect of grain size on the properties of NiFe/PtMn bilayers

“…However, Malozemoff [9,10] considered the AF/FM interfaces to be imperfect with the existence of random-exchange interactions between the AF and FM spins. Experimentally, there has been much work focused on the exchange coupling and microstructural characteristics of films such as roughness of interface [13][14][15], grain size [16][17][18], crystal texture [19][20][21] as well as the 3 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.…”

Design and Development of Magnetic Sensors Based on Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) Materials

“…The sample was sandwich of CoFe/Cu/CoFe/Si(100). The magnetoresistance ratio of sandwich thin films were characterized by current perpendicular plane (CPP) method and was defined as (R max -R min )/R min [13][14], and the hysteresis of magnetization were characterized by using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) OXFORD VSM1.2H type.…”