Comparison of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of metallic thin films grown on vicinal (111) and (100) Si surfaces

Author

Kim, Hyeong-Jun ; Lee, Byung-Il ; Joo, Seung-Ki

Author_Institution

Coll. of Eng., Seoul Nat. Univ., South Korea

Volume

35

Issue

5

fYear

1999

fDate

9/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

3814

Lastpage

3816

Abstract

Magnetic anisotropy of Co and NiFe thin films was investigated on 9 degree off Si(100) and 4 degree off Si(111) surfaces and compared. Both films showed in-plane uniaxial anisotropy on the two vicinal surfaces, but the directions of easy axis were so different that Co thin films showed the same easy axis on the two vicinal surfaces along the surface step direction, and NiFe thin films exhibited an easy axis along the steps on the 9 degree off Si(100) surfaces but perpendicular to the step direction in the film plane on 4 degree off Si(111) surfaces. From X-ray pole figure patterns, magnetoelastic effects rather than magnetocrystalline are thought to play a key role in the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of Co and NiFe thin films on vicinal surfaces. Also, various R-H curves of NiFe/Cu/Co spin valves on the two vicinal surfaces are believed to increase the potential of vicinal substrates for industrial applications

Keywords

cobalt; copper; ferromagnetic materials; iron alloys; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic thin films; magnetoelastic effects; metallic thin films; nickel alloys; semiconductor-metal boundaries; spin valves; texture; (100) Si surfaces; (111) Si surfaces; Co; Cu; NiFe; NiFe/Cu/Co spin valves; Si; X-ray pole figure patterns; industrial applications; magnetocrystalline effects; magnetoelastic effects; metallic thin films; surface step direction; uniaxial magnetic anisotropy; vicinal Si surfaces; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic films; Magnetic properties; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Semiconductor thin films; Spin valves; Sputtering; Substrates; Surface resistance;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.800674

Filename

800674