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GMR, Structural, and Magnetic Studies in NiFeCo/Ag Multilayer thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

J.D. Jarratt  and
J.A. Barnard
J.D. Jarratt
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487–0202.
J.A. Barnard
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487–0202.
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Abstract

Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR), crystal structure, and magnetic properties have been investigated in a series of sputtered Ni66Fe16Co18/Ag multilayer films with induced uniaxial anisotropy. The film thickness ranges studied were 20 and 25 Å for NiFeCo, and 25 to 50 Å for Ag. GMR was only evident in the films after post-deposition annealing. This onset of GMR is thought to be due to the breaking up of the NiFeCo layers into ferromagnetic platelets or islands by the immiscible Ag diffusing perpendicular to the film plane along the grain boundaries. The magnitude and field sensitivity of the GMR was dependent on the annealing time and temperature. High angle x-ray diffraction (HXRD) was used to reveal the overall film structure and growth texture and low angle XRD (LXRD) was used to investigate the quality of the multilayer structures. M-H hysteresis loops revealed in-plane uniaxial anisotropy in as-deposited films which is eventually eliminated with annealing. The easy axis squareness experiences a pronounced decrease with lower temperature annealing, but then increases slightly with annealing temperature.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 343: Symposium H – Polycrystalline Thin Films - Structure, Texture, Properties and Applications , 1994 , 399
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994

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References

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