Enhancement of magnetoresistance characteristics in spin valve structures by two-step sputter deposition

Author

Park, Chang-Min ; Shin, Kyung Ho

Author_Institution

Thin Film Technol. Res., Korea Inst. of Sci. & Technol., Seoul, South Korea

Volume

34

Issue

4

fYear

1998

fDate

7/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1423

Lastpage

1425

Abstract

Spin valve structures were prepared by two-step deposition procedures. Upper layers were deposited at a higher sputtering pressure, while lower layers were deposited at a lower pressure. The possibility of independent control of maximum magnetoresistance and interlayer coupling was found. By employing the procedure, for example, two samples with similar magnetoresistance but quite different coupling fields (CF) can be produced, One has MR_max=4.0%, CF=7.6 Oe and the other has MR_max=4.1%, CF=15.5 Oe. It is thought that the two-step-deposited samples combine reduced current shunting due to the high pressure growth and reduced ferromagnetic interlayer coupling due to the low pressure growth

Keywords

cobalt alloys; copper; giant magnetoresistance; iron alloys; magnetic multilayers; manganese alloys; nickel alloys; sputter deposition; FeMn-NiFeCo-Cu-NiFeCo; coupling fields; current shunting; giant magnetoresistance; high pressure growth; interlayer coupling; low pressure growth; spin valve structures; sputtering pressure; two-step sputter deposition; Couplings; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic multilayers; Magnetoresistance; Magnetostatics; Magnetostriction; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Perpendicular magnetic recording; Spin valves; Sputtering;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.706569

Filename

706569