Structural, magnetic, and transport properties of Permalloy for spintronic experiments

Journal Article · Thu Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3431384· OSTI ID:21476345

Nahrwold, Gesche; Scholtyssek, Jan M; Motl-Ziegler, Sandra; Albrecht, Ole; Merkt, Ulrich; Meier, Guido ^[1]

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1. Institut fuer Angewandte Physik und Zentrum fuer Mikrostrukturforschung, Universitaet Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, 20355 Hamburg (Germany)

Permalloy (Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20}) is broadly used to prepare magnetic nanostructures for high-frequency experiments where the magnetization is either excited by electrical currents or magnetic fields. Detailed knowledge of the material properties is mandatory for thorough understanding its magnetization dynamics. In this work, thin Permalloy films are grown by dc-magnetron sputtering on heated substrates and by thermal evaporation with subsequent annealing. The specific resistance is determined by van der Pauw methods. Point-contact Andreev reflection is employed to determine the spin polarization of the films. The topography is imaged by atomic-force microscopy, and the magnetic microstructure by magnetic-force microscopy. Transmission-electron microscopy and transmission-electron diffraction are performed to determine atomic composition, crystal structure, and morphology. From ferromagnetic resonance absorption spectra the saturation magnetization, the anisotropy, and the Gilbert damping parameter are determined. Coercive fields and anisotropy are measured by magneto-optical Kerr magnetometry. The sum of the findings enables optimization of Permalloy for spintronic experiments.

• OSTI ID: 21476345
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 108, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3431384; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ANNEALING
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEPOSITION
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
EVAPORATION
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
FERROMAGNETIC RESONANCE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIZATION
MAGNETO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MORPHOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
PERMALLOY
SPIN ORIENTATION
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ALLOYS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
FILMS
HEAT TREATMENTS
IRON ALLOYS
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
NICKEL ALLOYS
ORIENTATION
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RESONANCE
SCATTERING
SPECTRA
TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS