Interface structure and perpendicular exchange bias in (Co/Pt){sub n}/FeMn multilayers

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2005 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2137878· OSTI ID:20714167

Xiaosong, Ji; Honglyoul, Ju; McCready, David E; Krishnan, Kannan M ^[1]

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1. Department of Materials Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States)

We have performed a critical experimental evaluation of the dependence of both perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and exchange bias on the structure of the ferromagnet (FM)/nonferromagnet and FM/antiferromagnet interfaces of (Co/Pt){sub n} and (Co/Pt){sub n}/FeMn multilayers. The growth of these heterostructures by ion-beam sputtering was optimized and the characteristics of their interfaces were systematically controlled by varying the ion-beam energy from 250 to 1500 eV. Calculated effective anisotropy constants and exchange bias fields from hysteresis loops were correlated with both structural roughness and the degree of interdiffusion measured by x-ray reflectivity. Whilst the physical roughness remained unchanged, the degree of interdiffusion was found to increase with higher ion-beam energy--concurrently the magnetic anisotropy changed from perpendicular to in plane--leading directly to a decrease in exchange bias and coercivity.

• OSTI ID: 20714167
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 98; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANISOTROPY
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
COBALT
COERCIVE FORCE
DEPOSITION
EV RANGE 100-1000
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
HYSTERESIS
INTERFACES
ION BEAMS
IRON ALLOYS
KEV RANGE 01-10
MANGANESE ALLOYS
PLATINUM
REFLECTION
REFLECTIVITY
ROUGHNESS
SPUTTERING