Effects of Deposition Process Parameters on Exchange Coupling of A-Fe2O3/NiFe Bi-Layers and GMR in A-Fe2O3/NiFe/Cu/NiFe Spin Valves

Published

September 1, 2000

Author(s)

S Bae, William F. Egelhoff Jr., P J. Chen, J Judy

Abstract

The anti-ferromagnetic material used for the exchange biasing layer in multilayer GMR spin valve structure requires a high blocking temperature, high corrosion resistance, and high resistivity for appolications such as magnetic recording read heads and sensors[1]. Since a-Fe2O3 has a high Neel temperature ('680 degree C), high resistivity, and has a large GMR ration, it has receive attention recently as a promising anti-ferromagnetic GMR spin valves[2].In this study, the exchange coupling of a-Fe2Oc/NiFe bi-layers were investigated as a function of sputtering deposition process parameters. In particular, the oxygen partial pressure, substrate bias, and input power of reacctively RF-sputtered a-Fe2O3 were controlled as the experimental process parameters. In addition, the effects of the NiFe thickness and deposition rate on exchange coupling of a-Fe2O3/NiFe bi-layers were investigated. The GMR ratio of a-Fe2O3/NiFe based spin valves with different a-Fe2O3 input powers and different NiFe thicknesses werre studies for the multilayered structure of Si/a-Fe2O3(50 nm)/NiFe/Cu/NiFe bottom spin valves.

Citation

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

Volume

36

Issue

No. 5

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

exchange coupling, giant magnetoresistance, iron oxide spin valves

Citation

Bae, S. , Egelhoff Jr., W. , Chen, P. and Judy, J. (2000), Effects of Deposition Process Parameters on Exchange Coupling of A-Fe₂O₃/NiFe Bi-Layers and GMR in A-Fe₂O₃/NiFe/Cu/NiFe Spin Valves, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics (Accessed October 21, 2025)