Title :
Effect of surface cleaning of substrate on the exchange coupling field in Ni-Fe/25at%Ni-Mn films
Author :
Tsunoda, M. ; Konoto, M. ; Uneyama, K. ; Takahashi, M.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electron. Eng., Tohoku Univ., Sendai, Japan
fDate :
9/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The effect of surface cleaning of Si(100) substrate on the exchange coupling field, Hex was investigated for Ni-Fe/25 at% Ni-Mn films. Hex measured at room temperature rapidly increased when the substrate surface was slightly (about 10 Å) etched by RF plasma just before film deposition, especially in the films with very thin (50 Å) Ni-Fe layer. From structural analysis of the films, and view of the temperature dependence of Hex, it was concluded that the increase of Hex was caused by the enlargement of γ-Ni-Mn grains epitaxially grown on the underlying Ni-Fe grains
Keywords :
exchange interactions (electron); ferromagnetic materials; grain size; interface magnetism; iron alloys; magnetic multilayers; manganese alloys; nickel alloys; silicon; surface cleaning; γ-Ni-Mn grains; 10 A; 50 A; Ni-Fe/25at%Ni-Mn films; NiFe-NiMn; Si; Si(100) substrate; exchange coupling field; film deposition; structural analysis; substrate; surface cleaning; temperature dependence; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Couplings; Dry etching; Epitaxial growth; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic films; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Saturation magnetization; Substrates; Surface cleaning;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
