Abstract
The interlayer coupling between adjacent ferromagnetic layers was examined for CoFe/Cu/NiFe trilayer systems. A series of films of CoFe (20 nm)/Cu($t_{cu}$)/NiFe (20 nm) trilayers with Cu spacer thickness, $t_{cu}$, in the range of 1~10 m was deposited on Si(100) wafers at room temperature by DC magnetron sputtering. In order to understand the dependence of the magnetic interaction between ferromagnetic $Co_{90}Fe_{10}$ (wt.%) and $Ni_{81}Fe_{19}$ (wt.%) layers separated by a nonmagnetic Cu spacer on the Cu layer thickness, we investigated the derivative ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra. The FMR results were analyzed using the model of Layadi and Art-man for interlayer interaction. The interlayer coupling constant decreases in an oscillatory manner as the Cu spacer thickness increases up to 10 nm and approaches zero above 10 nm. The interlayer coupling constant is positive for all samples. Hence, it seems that the exchange coupling between adjacent CoFe and NiFe layers separated by a Cu layer is ferromagnetic.