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Giant magnetoresistance and magnetic anisotropy of Co 9 Fe/Cu/Co 9 Fe multilayer thin films on an MgO(110) substrate
Author(s) -
Inomata Koichiro,
Saito Yoshiaki
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
electrical engineering in japan
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.136
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1520-6416
pISSN - 0424-7760
DOI - 10.1002/eej.4391150601
Subject(s) - materials science , magnetoresistance , layer (electronics) , magnetization , substrate (aquarium) , magnetic anisotropy , anisotropy , sputtering , condensed matter physics , giant magnetoresistance , magnetic field , thin film , analytical chemistry (journal) , composite material , chemistry , optics , nanotechnology , oceanography , physics , chromatography , quantum mechanics , geology
Magnetoresistive effects have been investigated using Co 9 Fe/Cu/Co 9 Fe that were deposited on an MgO(110) substrate by ion beam sputtering with a 21‐A‐thick CU layer and with various thicknesses of the Co 9 Fe films. The influence of a 50‐A‐thick Fe buffer layer has also been investigated. In addition to a cubic symmetry anisotropy ( K 1 ), an in‐plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy ( K u ) was induced, which easy axis is parallel to the (110) plane of the MgO substrate and the (001) plane with and without the 50‐A‐thick Fe buffer layer, respectively. The magnetoresistance (MR) ratio decreased monotonically with increasing thickness of the Co 9 Fe films from 25 A to 70 A. A maximum MR ratio of 11.5 percent was obtained at room temperature. With increasing magnetic field, the MR ratio reached a plateau gradually after a steep drop at small magnetic fields without the Fe buffer layer. It reached a plateau rapidly at small magnetic fields with the Fe buffer layer. By considering both K u and K 1 , these behaviors can be accounted for by the magnetization processes involved.