Acceleration of ordering transformation of a new Fe{sub 2}(Mn,Cr)Si Heusler-alloy film by very high frequency plasma irradiation process during radio frequency sputter deposition

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3562198· OSTI ID:21560109

Yoshimura, S; Kobayashi, H; Egawa, G; Saito, H ^[1]; Ishida, S ^[2]

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1. Center for Geo-environmental Science, Graduate School of Engineering and Resource Science, Akita University, Akita, 010-8502 (Japan)
2. Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, 890-8580 (Japan)

A new Heusler alloy, Fe{sub 2}(Mn,Cr)Si, that is likely to have high spin polarization (P) and high damping constant ({alpha}) was proposed to obtain high magneto-resistance ratio and low spin torque noise in a magnetic read head with a current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) giant magneto-resistance (GMR) multilayer. A very high frequency (VHF) plasma irradiation process during radio frequency (RF) sputter deposition was investigated to form the highly ordered structure of the Heusler alloy film with low thermal treatment temperature. The main results are as follows: (1) P and magnetic moment of Fe{sub 2}(Mn{sub 0.5}Cr{sub 0.5})Si with an L2{sub 1} structure were estimated at 0.99 and 2.49 {mu}{sub B}/f.u., respectively, and {alpha} was also estimated to be larger compared with the case of Co{sub 2}MnSi, according to density of states (DOS) calculations. (2) The ordering (at least B2 structure) temperature of Fe{sub 2}(Mn{sub 0.6}Cr{sub 0.4})Si film decreased from 500 to 300 deg. C by using the VHF plasma irradiation process with optimized condition. (3) The surface roughness of Fe{sub 2}(Mn{sub 0.6}Cr{sub 0.4})Si film also reduced from 1.7 to 0.5 nm by using the VHF plasma irradiation process. It is found that the Fe{sub 2}(Mn,Cr)Si Heusler alloy and the VHF plasma irradiation process with optimized condition seems to be applicable for fabrication of high-performance magnetic read head with CPP-GMR device.

• OSTI ID: 21560109
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 109; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COPPER ALLOYS
COPPER BASE ALLOYS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DENSITY
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FILMS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HEUSLER ALLOYS
IRON ALLOYS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETORESISTANCE
MANGANESE ALLOYS
NOISE
ORIENTATION
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
ROUGHNESS
SILICON ALLOYS
SPIN ORIENTATION
SPUTTERING
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS