Improving exchange-coupling field in the same thickness of pinned magnetic layer

A conventional Ta/NiFe/Cu/NiFe/FeMn spin valve was prepared to investigate the exchange bias properties with the variations of deposition field. By enhancing the deposition magnetic fields from 50 to 650 Oe, increase of exchange bias fields at a given thickness of the pinned NiFe layer has been found in the spin valves. In this paper, we show that this increase is due to the change of magnetic moment distribution at the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interface by comparison of measured results with the interfacial uncompensated model. Therefore, by enhancing deposition magnetic fields, a large exchange-coupling field can be achieved in relatively thicker magnetic films for application.