Title :
Specular electron scattering in giant magnetoresistance spin valves
Author :
Egelhoff, W.F., Jr. ; Chen, P.J. ; Powell, C.J. ; Stiles, M.D. ; McMichael, R.D. ; Judy, J.H. ; Takano, K. ; Berkowitz, A.E. ; Daughton, J.M.
Author_Institution :
Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Gaithersburg, MD, USA
fDate :
9/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Specular scattering of electrons at the top surface of bottom spin valves has been found to contribute to the giant magnetoresistance effect. The specular scattering can be increased by the deposition of ~2 monolayers (ML) of Au, Ag, or Cu, with the result that the GMR increases and the R□ decreases. The deposition of 2 ML of species that disorder the surface, such as Ta, Si, C, or Ni80Fe20, suppresses the specular scattering. This suppression appears to be useful as a new method for evaluating the importance of specular scattering
Keywords :
electron diffraction; giant magnetoresistance; magnetic multilayers; giant magnetoresistance spin valves; specular electron scattering; Conductivity; Electrons; Giant magnetoresistance; Gold; Monitoring; NIST; Spectroscopy; Spin valves; Surface contamination; X-ray scattering;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
