Effects of Interface Roughness on Interlayer Coupling in Fe/Cr/Fe Structure

Effect of interface roughness on antiferromagnetic coupling between Fe layers in a Fe/Cr/Fe trilayer, with Cr layer having a wedge form has been studied. All the samples have been deposited simultaneously on substrates having different roughness, thus it is being considered that there is no variation in the morphological features like grain size and grain texture of the films. Measurements have been done as a function of Cr spacer layer thickness and the peak value of antiferromagnetic coupling strength is compared among different trilayers, thus any influence of spacer layer thickness fluctuation from sample to sample has also been avoided. The samples are characterized by X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE). XRR results show that the roughness of the substrate is not replicated at the successive interfaces. Antiferromagnetic coupling between Fe layers decreases with the increase of roughness of Fe/Cr/Fe interfaces.     

Magnetic depth profiling of Fe/Au multilayer using neutron reflectometry

We present unpolarized and polarized neutron reflectometry data on Fe/Au multilayer sample for characterizing the layer structure and magnetic moment density profile. Fe/Au multilayer shows strong spin-dependent scattering at interfaces, making it a prospective GMR material. Fe/Au multilayer with bilayer thickness of 130 Å was grown on Si substrate by RF magnetron sputtering technique. Unpolarized neutron reflectivity measurement yields nuclear scattering length density profile. The magnetic scattering length density profile has been obtained from polarized neutron reflectivity measurements.     

AFM study of BSA adlayers on Au stripes

Thin narrow Au stripes suitable for propagating long-range surface plasmon-polaritons were deposited by evaporation and lift-off on a thermal oxide layer on a silicon substrate, and modified by direct adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements reveal that BSA adsorbs onto the Au stripes from phosphate buffer solutions forming an adlayer having an average thickness of about 2 nm (surface mass density of about 2 ng/mm²). Comparisons with a simple adsorption model suggest the side-on adsorption of a single monolayer of BSA followed by denaturation and flattening. The BSA-coated stripes have an increased surface roughness compared to a virgin stripe.     

Effect of the structural quality of the buffer on the magnetoresistance and the exchange coupling in sputtered Co/Cu sandwiches

The effect of the structural quality of the buffer stack on the structural properties, giant magnetoresistance (GMR) and the quality of the antiferromagnetic coupling has been investigated for Co/Cu/Co sandwiches prepared by DC-magnetron sputtering. Three kinds of buffers were employed: type A: Cr(6 nm)/Co(0.8 nm)/Cu(10 nm), type B: Fe(6 nm)/Co(0.8 nm)/Cu(10 nm) and type C: Cr(4 nm)/Fe(3 nm)/Co(0.8 nm)/Cu(10 nm). For B and C type buffers, the antiferromagnetic alignment is very interesting at zero field with a coupling strength larger than 0.4 erg/cm² and a GMR signal reaching 5% at room temperature. However, for the A type buffer the antiferromagnetic coupling completely disappears, while the GMR drops to about 0.8%. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been performed in order to understand the origin of the observed difference in the magnetic properties. The results show a strong difference in the average surface roughness, 1.15 nm and 0.35 nm, respectively for the A and C types buffers, and demonstrate that the quality of the surface of the buffer is the key to optimize both the GMR and the indirect exchange coupling. Received 11 July 2000     

[Fe/Cr]多层膜及掺入Si中介层后的层间耦合和磁电阻效应

用真空蒸镀方法制备了［Ｆｅ／Ｃｒ］，［Ｆｅ／Ｃｒ／Ｓｉ］和［Ｆｅ／Ｓｉ］多层膜．研究了Ｃｒ层、Ｓｉ层和Ｃｒ＋Ｓｉ层厚度变化对层间耦合和磁电阻的影响．Ｆｅ层厚为２ｎｍ，Ｃｒ层厚度变化存在耦合振荡和巨磁电阻及其振荡．磁电阻值为１４.６％（４.２Ｋ）．在Ｃｒ层中加入一半Ｓｉ层或全部由Ｓｉ层替代，振荡消失，磁电阻减小到千分之几．根据掺Ｓｉ层后多层膜的电阻率变化，认为Ｓｉ加入使非磁层中自由电子数减少，随之极化效应也变弱，导致振荡消失，磁电阻大为降低 关键词：     

Chemisorption of Fe on Au-passivated Si（001） surface

The chemisorption of one monolayer of Fe atoms on a Au-passivated Si(001) surface is studied by using the self-consistent tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital method. The Fe adatom chemisorption on an ideal Si(001) surface is also considered for comparison. The chemisorption energy and layer projected density of states for a monolayer of Fe atoms on Au-passivated Si(001) surface are calculated and compared with that of the Fe atoms on an ideal Si(001) surface. The charge transfer is investigated. It is found that the most stable position is at the fourfold hollow site for the adsorbed Fe atoms, which might sit below the Au surface. Therefore there will be a Au－Fe mixed layer at the Fe/Au－Si(100) interface. It is found that the adsorbed Fe atoms cannot sit below the Si surface, indicating that a buffer layer of Au atoms may hinder the intermixing of Fe atoms and Si atoms at the Fe/Au－Si(001) interface effectively, which is in agreement with the experimental results.     

Polarized neutron reflectometry of the influence of Fe/Si,Fe/FeSi2 and Au/Fe interfaces on the magnetic properties of epitaxial Fe films

The magnetic and structural properties of epitaxial Fe films grown on Si(1 1 1) are investigated by polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) at room temperature. The influence of different types of interfaces, Fe/Si, Fe/FeSi₂ and Au/Fe on the magnetic properties of Fe films deposited by molecular beam epitaxy onto Si(1 1 1) are characterized. We observe a drastic reduction of the magnetic moment in the entire Fe film deposited directly on the silicon substrate essentially due to strong Si interdiffusion throughout the whole Fe layer thickness. The use of a silicide FeSi₂ template layer stops the interdiffusion and the value of the magnetic moment of the deposited Fe layer is close to its bulk value. We also evidence the asymmetric nature of the interfaces, Si/Fe and Fe/Si interfaces are magnetically very different. Finally, we show that the use of Au leads to an enhancement of the magnetization at the interface.     

Magnetoresistance of Fe3O4/Au/Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Au/Fe spin-valve structures

A detailed study of the in-plane magnetotransport properties of spin valves with one and two Fe₃O₄ electrodes is presented. Fe₃O₄/Au/Fe₃O₄ spin valves exhibit a clear anisotropic magnetoresistance in small magnetic fields but no giant magnetoresistance (GMR). The absence of GMR in these structures is due to simultaneous magnetization reversal in the two Fe₃O₄ layers. By contrast, a negative GMR effect is measured on Fe₃O₄/Au/Fe spin valves. The negative GMR is attributed to an electron spin scattering asymmetry at the Fe₃O₄/Au interface or an induced spin scattering asymmetry in the Au interfacial layers.     

Thermal stability of spin valve sensors using artificial Co/Ir based ferrimagnets

Hard-soft spin valve structures have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on MgO(0 0 1) substrates. The hard magnetic layer consists of an artificial Co/Ir/Co ferrimagnet system (AFi), while a Fe/Co bilayer from the buffer has been used as a soft detection layer. The Fe layer has been grown at 600°C giving rise to a monocrystalline layer with a BCC structure. Consequently, this layer presents a hard and a easy magnetization axis, respectively, along the BCC [1 1 0] and the [1 0 0] directions. The AFi system presents dramatic differences after successive annealing steps up to 350°C. An increase of the GMR from 3% to 3.5% is observed after annealing at 250°C while the coercive field of the AFi and the GMR plateau are strongly reduced. After further annealing at higher temperature the GMR drops down accompanied with a strong decrease in the antiparallel alignment amount in the AFi system. Rutherford back scattering measurements have been performed to investigate the changes in the interface morphology and to correlate it to the magneto-transport properties.     

Structural and magnetic properties of La/Fe multilayers

The structural and magnetic properties of La/Fe multilayers were investigated by X-ray diffraction, RHEED, magnetometry and⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. Comparison is made with previous results obtained for Ce/Fe multilayers. Remarkably sharp interfaces are found, with roughness between 2 and 2.5 Å. The magnetic interface in the Fe sublayers resulting from the distribution of magnetic hyperfine fields distinctly exceeds the extension of the structural interface and points to a magnetic proximity effect. This is discussed in relation to a strong 3d-5d hybridization recently found in measurements of magnetic circular X-ray dichroism. Both the structural and magnetic La/Fe interface is less extended than the interface in Ce/Fe multilayers. Below a thickness of about 25 Å, the individual Fe layers grow in an amorphous structure on the La layers. In this case, Curie temperatures are below 200 K and the Fe-layer saturation magnetization is reduced up to 50%, and there is evidence of a non-collinear spin structure. It is argued that this mainly reflects the properties of pure amorphous Fe.     

Electrodeposition and characterization of Cu/Co multilayers: Effect of individual Co and Cu layers on GMR magnitude and behavior

The present work discusses the successful electrodeposition of Cu/Co multilayers, exhibiting appreciable GMR of 12-14% at room temperature. The effect of individual Cu and Co layers on the magnitude and behavior of GMR has been studied. By varying the thickness of individual layers the field at which saturation in GMR is observed can be controlled. It was observed that for lower thicknesses of Co layer, the saturation fields are reduced below 1 kOe. The Cu layer thickness seems to control the nature of magnetic coupling and the saturation field, with the two showing a correlation.     

O2 plasma oxidation effect on magnetic properties of spin valves

The use of nano-oxide to improve the performance of spin valves has been extensively studied. But most of the investigations so far have been carried out on different samples. This may make some of the conclusions drawn from the experiments inconsistent because of the fluctuation in deposition conditions and device structures. In this work, the effect of nano-oxide on the properties of spin valves has been investigated through post-growth oxidation of the same sample in oxygen plasma for different rf powers and durations. The sample investigated was a bottom spin valve with the structure Si/SiO₂/Ta/NiFe/IrMn/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/Ta. A relative increase of 20% and 12% was obtained in the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) ratio of as-deposited and annealed samples, respectively. It was found that, at a fixed rf power, there is a peak of the GMR ratio as the oxidation time increases. A higher peak value of the GMR ratio was obtained for lower rf power, although the required oxidation time is longer. This result can be well understood by considering both the enhanced specularity at the insulator/metal interface and the loss of magnetic effective thickness of the free layer by the oxidation. Magnetic parameters such as the interlayer coupling field (H₀) and the coercivity of the free layer (H_cf) were also greatly influenced by the oxidation process. When only the Ta layer was oxidized, H₀ increases very slightly, and H_cf increases with the oxidation time. However, when the CoFe free layer was oxidized, a significant increase was found for H₀, and H_cf changes to decreasing. These results can be explained based on the Néel and RKKY coupling models. Received: 25 October 2001 / Accepted: 21 December 2001 / Published online: 3 June 2002     

Degradation of the Giant Magnetoresistance in Fe/Cr Multilayers Due to Ar-Ion Beam Mixing

The influence of 200 keV Ar-ion irradiation on the interlayer coupling in the Fe/Cr multilayer system exhibiting the giant magnetoresistance effect (GMR) is studied by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS), VSM hysteresis loops, magnetoresistivity and electric resistivity measurements and supplemented by the small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD). The increase of Ar ion dose causes an increase of interface roughness, as evidenced by the increase of the Fe step-sites detected by CEMS as a result of which the GMR gradually decreases and vanishes at doses exceeding 1×10¹⁴ Ar/cm². A degradation of GMR with increasing Ar-ion dose is related to the formation of pinholes between Fe layers and the decrease of the antiferromagnetically coupled fraction.

     

Growth mode, magnetic and magneto-optical properties of pulsed-laser-deposited Au/Co/Au(1 1 1) trilayers

The growth mode, magnetic and magneto-optical properties of epitaxial Au/Co/Au(1 1 1) ultrathin trilayers grown by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) under ultra-high vacuum are presented. Sapphire wafers buffered with a single-crystalline Mo(1 1 0) buffer layer were used as substrates. Owing to PLD-induced interfacial intermixing at the lower Co/Au(1 1 1) interface, a close-to layer-by-layer growth mode is promoted. Surprisingly, despite this intermixing, ferromagnetic behavior is found at room temperature for coverings starting at 1 atomic layer (AL). The films display perpendicular magnetization with anisotropy constants reduced by 50% compared to TD-grown or electrodeposited films, and with a coercivity more than one order of magnitude lower . The magneto-optical (MO) response in the low Co thickness range is dominated by Au/Co interface contributions. For thicknesses starting at 3 AL Co, the MO response has a linear dependence with the Co thickness, indicative of a continuous-film-like MO behavior.     

Thickness dependence of X-ray absorption and photoemission in Fe thin films on Si(0 0 1)

To investigate the initial growth of Fe films on Si(0 0 1) and the Fe/Si interface, Fe films at various thicknesses have been systematically studied by soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The Fe L edge XAS spectrum shows a strong thickness dependence with broader line-width for thinner films. Detailed analysis of the Fe absorption signal as a function of the thickness shows that the broad linewidth of Fe L edge XAS spectra is mostly contributed by the first Fe layer at the Fe/Si interface. In contrast to XAS, Fe 2p photoemission spectra for these films are identical. However, valence band photoemission also shows a strong thickness dependence. Comparing the valence band photoemission spectra of the thin Fe/Si(0 0 1) films with that of pure Si and the thickest Fe film, the difference spectra at all thicknesses show almost identical shape indicating the same origin: the Fe/Si interface. Thus, it is mainly the first Fe layer at Fe/Si layer that is reactive with the Si substrate changing its electronic structure.     

197Au Mössbauer study of Au/Ni artificial multilayers

¹⁹⁷Au Mössbauer measurements have been performed at 16 K on the Au/Ni artificial multilayers having three different thickness of the layers those are 10Å Au/10Å Ni, 30Å Au/30Å Ni and 53Å Au/53Å Ni on a 250Å pure Au buffer layer. Mössbauer spectra obtained can be decomposed into mainly two components. One is an unperturbed component having an identical isomer shift value to the bulk Au metal. The other is the component perturbed strongly by the Ni layer indicating a broad contribution at positive velocity side and its intensity depends on the thickness of the Au layer. The spectrum from 10Å Au/10Å Ni multilayer is an entirely perturbed one and its area ratio to the component rising from pure Au buffer layer indicates the large Debye-Waller-factor suggesting the supermodulus effect in this multilayer.     

Interfacial roughness and angle dependence of giant magnetoresistance in magnetic superlattices

Using the two-point conductivity formula, we numerically evaluate the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in magnetic superlattices with currents in the plane of the layers (CIP), from which the effect of the interfacial roughness and magnetization configuration on the GMR is studied. With increasing interfacial roughness, the maximal GMR ratio is found to first increase and then decrease, exhibiting a peak at an optimum strength of interfacial roughness. For systems composed of relatively thick layers, the GMR is approximately proportional to ,where is the angle between the magnetizations in two successive ferromagnetic layers, but noticeable departures from this dependence are found when the layers become sufficiently thin. Received 21 September 1998 and Received in final form 22 December 1998     

不同过渡层上Co/Cu/Co三明治结构的巨磁电阻效应研究

通过对不同过渡层上Co(5.5nm)/Cu(3.5nm)/Co(5.5nm)三明治结构的研究,发现过渡层的磁性及过渡层诱导的三明治晶格结构对材料的巨磁电阻效应有重要影响.反铁磁Cr过渡层由于和相邻铁磁Co层之间存在着反铁磁耦合,可以获得6％以上的巨磁电阻值,但它同时使材料的矫顽力较大,因此磁灵敏度不高.Ni和Ti过渡层上Co/Cu/Co三明治结构,由于形成了强的（111）织构,其巨磁电阻值也达到5％以上.磁性材料Ni过度层还使三明治结构材料的矫顽力大为下降,从而显著提高了材料的磁灵敏度. 关键词：     

Formation of amorphous Al1−x Au x films as a consequence of low-temperature Al/Au-interface reactions in a multilayered system

Al/Au multilayers (average composition Al₂Au, individual layer thicknesses 1 nm Al and 0.71 nm Au) are prepared at 90 K by ion beam sputtering. The electrical resistance of the growing films is monitored in situ. From the results obtained in this way it can be concluded that interface reactions occur transforming the ultrathin layers into an amorphous phase, which is stable up to 255 K.For larger individual layer thicknesses (2.1 nm Au and 3 nm Al), the interface reaction into the amorphous state is incomplete. Based on a simple parallel-resistor model, one finds that the interface reaction into the amorphous phase is restricted to a thickness of less than 3.5 nm. The temperature dependence of the resistance of such thicker multilayers indicates the onset of interdiffusion of the yet unreacted material at T=200 K resulting in the crystalline Al₂Au-phase.     

超薄Fe(4(A))膜磁特性极化中子反射研究

利用分子束外延薄膜生长技术,制备了200 (A)V/4 (A) Fe/900 V/MgO(100)薄膜样品,通过X射线反射和极化中子反射两种测量手段获得了薄膜的表面、界面及各层膜厚的相关结构信息.中子反射结果表明,Fe原子磁矩在室温下约为1.0±0.1μB,随着温度的降低,Fe原子磁矩增加,在10 K时达到1.5±0.1μB.利用指数定律拟合磁矩随温度的变化情况,外推得出4(A)铁薄膜样品的居里温度约为310±30 K.

Abstract：

Uhrathin Fe film 200 (A)V/4 (A)Fe/900 (A)V/MgO(100) has been prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The structure parameters, such as the surface and interface roughness and the thickness of each layer, were obtained by X-ray and neutron reflectivity measurement. The magnetic properties of the thin Fe layer were investigated by polarized neutron reflectometry at different temperature. The result shows that the magnetic moment of an Fe atom is about 1.0 ± 0.1 μB at room temperature and increases to 1.5 ±0.1 μBat 10 K. The Curie temperature of the thin Fe film is estimated to be 310 ± 30 K.