Setting temperature effect in polycrystalline exchange-biased IrMn/CoFe bilayers

Journal Article · Tue May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4795211· OSTI ID:22102403

Fernandez-Outon, L. E.; Araujo Filho, M. S.; Araujo, R. E.; Ardisson, J. D.; Macedo, W. A. A. ^[1]

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1. Laboratorio de Fisica Aplicada, Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

We study the effect of atomic interdiffusion on the exchange bias of polycrystalline IrMn/({sup 57}Fe + CoFe) multilayers due to the thermal setting process of exchange coupling during field annealing. Depth-resolved {sup 57}Fe conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy was used to quantify atomic interdiffusion. Vibrating sample magnetometry was used to monitor the variation of exchange bias and magnetisation. It was found that interface sharpness is only affected above {approx}350 Degree-Sign C. Three different stages for the setting of exchange bias can be inferred from our results. At the lower setting temperatures (up to 350 Degree-Sign C), the effect of field annealing involves alignment of spins and interfacial coupling due to the setting of both antiferromagnetic (AF) bulk and interface without significant interdiffusion. At a second stage (350-450 Degree-Sign C), where AF ordering dominates over diffusion effects, atomic migration and increased setting of AF spins co-exist to produce a peak in exchange bias field and coercivity. On a third stage (>450 Degree-Sign C), severe chemical intermixing reduces significantly the F/AF coupling.

• OSTI ID: 22102403
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 17; Conference: 55. annual conference on magnetism and magnetic materials, Atlanta, GA (United States), 14-18 Nov 2010; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANNEALING
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
COBALT ALLOYS
COERCIVE FORCE
DIFFUSION
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
INTERFACES
IRIDIUM ALLOYS
IRON 57
IRON ALLOYS
LAYERS
MAGNETIZATION
MANGANESE ALLOYS
MOESSBAUER EFFECT
POLYCRYSTALS
SPIN