• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.212-212
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• 2003

Many of the spin valve multilayer structures with FeMn as antiferromagnetic layer consist of a NiFe/FeMn/NiFe trilayer where the bottom NiFe layer is the seed layer to facilitate the growth of (111) gama-FeMn antiferromagnetic phase and the top NiFe layer forms the pinned layer[1], In this study, exchange bias of bottom NiFe layer has been investigated as functions of thicknesses of top and bottom NiFe in NiFe/FeMn/NiFe, prepared by rf magnetron sputtering, MH-loop was measured by vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). Two hysteresis loops are corresponded to bottom and top layers, similar to reported loops in spin valve structure. Exchange bias of bottom NiFe could be induced by the interfacial coupling between bottom NiFe and FeMn. But those coupling are strongly dependent on the top and bottom NiFe thicknesses, revealing anomalous character ul exchange bias of bottom NiFe layer.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.99-102
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• 2005

Modification in exchange bias of a NiFe/FeMn/NiFe trilayer, on introduction of a nonmagnetic Al layer at the top FeMn/NiFe interface, is investigated in multilayers prepared by rf magnetron sputtering. The introduction of Al layer leads to vanishing of bias of the top NiFe layer. But the bias for the bottom NiFe layer increases steadily with increasing Al layer thickness and attains bias (230 Oe) which is greater than that of the trilayer without the Al layer (150 Oe). When the top NiFe layer thickness is varied, exchange bias has highest value at 12 nm thickness for 1 nm thicknes of Al layer. Ion beam etching of the top NiFe layer also leads to an enhancement in bias for the bottom NiFe layer.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.132-136
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• 2002

Enhancement of crystallinity and exchange bias characteristics for NiFe/FeMn/NiFe trilayer with Si buffer layer fabricated by ion-beam deposition were examined. A Si buffer layer promoted (111) texture of fcc crystallities in the initial growth region of NiFe layer deposited on it. FeMn layers deposited on Si/NiFe bilayer exhibited excellent (111) crystal texture. The antiferromagnetic FeMn layer between top and bottom NiFe films with the buffer Si 50 ${\AA}$-thick induced a large exchange coupling field Hex with a different dependence. It was found that H$\sub$ex/ of the bottom and top NiFe films with Si buffer layer revealed large value of about 110 Oe and 300 Oe, respectively. In the comparison of two Ta and Si buffer layers, the NiFe/FeMn/NiFe trilayer with Si could possess larger exchange coupling field and higher crystallinity.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 1994

The read/write characteristics of CoCr/NiFe double layered media are strongly affected by the magnetic properties of NiFe magnetic soft layer as well as those of CoCr recording layer. Modification of the permalloy layer by NiFe/Ge multilayer scheme resulted in the higher recording sensitivity and the higher reproduced voltage of CoCr/NiFe medium and this is attributed to the higher permeability of the back layer and high perpendicular anisotropy of the CoCr recording layer. Although higher permeability of back layer results in higher recording sensitivity, the increment of the reproduced voltage was not remarkable, which can be confirmed in the FEM numerical analysis. On the contrary, peak shift characteristics of the CoCr/NiFe medium with the NiFe multi back layer was deteriorated compared to that of the CoCr/NiFe medium with NiFe single back layer. Insertion of ferromagnetic thin CoZrNb intermediate layer between CoCr and NiFe layer was effective to ensure large reproduced voltage and low peak shift. These recoridng characteristics were also discussed in connection with microstructural characteristics.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.1016-1021
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• 1997

Magneto resistance properties in spin-valve sandwiches with various thickness of nanmagnetic layer in contact with the ferromagnetic NiFe film were investigated. The NiFe layer in contact with the NiO film was pinned by strongly exchange-biased coupling and the free NiFe layer at the film surface induced a sharp change in the magnetoresistance at -5~15Oe due to small coercivity. The NiO/NiFe/Cu/NiFe film showed a magnetoresistance ratio in the range of 2.3~2.9% and a field sensitivity above 2.2%/Oe with various of nonmagnetic layer. The NiO/NiFe/Cu/NiFe film of the field sensitivity above 2.2%/Oe suggests stang possibility of magnetic sensor matter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.55-58
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• 2003

FeMn based spin valves often consist of a NiFe/FeMn/NiFe trilayer structure. We have investigated the evolution of exchange bias at the bottom and top interfaces in the NiFe(5nm)/FeMn(x)/NiFe(5nm) trilayer structure as a function of FeMn thickness in the range 3 nm to 30 nm. The XRD results indicate (111) textured growth for NiFe and FeMn layers. The magnetization studies using VSM show two hysteresis loops corresponding to the bottom NiFe seed layer and top NiFe layers with greater bias for the bottom NiFe layer, for FeMn thickness equal to and above 5 nm. The larger exchange bias for the bottom seed layer is confirmed by the surface sensitive MOKE hysteresis loop measurements which show gradual weakening of the MOKE hysteresis loop for the bottom NiFe layer with increasing FeMn thickness. The observed large exchange bias in a spin valve structure is usually attributed to the pinning NiFe layer on top of the FeMn layer, even when a NiFe seed layer of a few nm thickness is present, whereas, in reality it may be arising from the bottom seed layer, as shown by the present study.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.258-264
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• 1997

Exchange and interlayer couplings between a NiFe ferromagnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic NiO layer in NiO/NiFe/Cu/NiFe spin-valve films prepared by rf/dc magnetron sputtering were investigated. The interlayer coupling field ($H_{int}$ decreased with the Cu layer thickness, and the exchange coupling field $(H_{ex}$ saturated to 90 Oe. the magnetitudes of $H_{ex}$ and $H_{int}$ decreased with increasing thickness of the pinned NiFe layer. The increase of $H_{int}$ with the free NiFe layer may be due to the increased magnetization.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.288-294
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• 1998

Effect of degree of intermixing at the Ta/NiFe interface induced by varying applied substrate bias voltage during NiFe free layer deposition on change of magnetoresistance in Substrate/Ta/NiFe/Cu/NiFe/FeMn/Ta spin valve multilayers was investigated. It was found that the optimum NiFe free layer thickness showing a maximum MR increase with increasing the bias voltage. The increase of the optimum thickness was due to the increase of the intermixed layer thickness with a bias voltage. The weak ferromagnetic or non ferromagnetic intermixed layer plays as a spin-independent scattering region and does not contribute on spin-dependent scattering. The existence of the intermixed layer was proved by the means of electrical resistivity and magnetization changes. In the present study, the optimum "effective" free layer thickness which gives the highest MR ratio was a constant independent of the magnitude of the bias voltage we have used.have used.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.251-255
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• 1999

NiFe(60 $\AA$)/Co(0$\AA$$\leq$x$\AA$$\leq$15$\AA$)/Cu(60$\AA$)/Co(30$\AA$) spin valve thin films were prepared on 4$^{\circ}$ tilt-cut Si(111) substrates with a 50 $\AA$ thick Cu underlayer without applying any external magnetic field during the deposition, and the effects of inserted ultrathin Co layer on magnetic anisotropy and GMR properties of the NiFe(60 $\AA$)/Cu(60$\AA$)/Co(30$\AA$) spin valves were investigated. As the ultrathin Co layer was inserted into the NiFe/Cu interface of the spin valves, GMR ratio was increased from about 1.5% to 3.5%, and the easy axis of NiFe(60 $\AA$) layer was rotated by 90$^{\circ}$. Accordingly, it was aligned along the same direction with the easy axis of Co(30 $\AA$)layer. Therefore, squared R-H curves was obtained in the spin valves, which is favorable properties for the digital GMR devices such as MRAM. In order to investigate the change of magnetic anisotropy of NiFe layer of the spin valves in more details,XRD measurement was performed using NiFe(500 $\AA$) and NiFe(500 $\AA$)/Co(10 $\AA$) thin films on the same templates. Strong (220) NiFe peak was observed in both films regardless of the inserted Co layer, so it was thought that the variation of magnetic anisotropy of NiFe layer is from the interface effect, the change of interface from NiFe/Cu to NiFe/Co, rather than the volume effect such as the change of magnetocrystalline effect.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.132-135
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• 2011

The exchange bias field ($H_{EX}$) and the coercivity ($H_C$) variation and change depending on the thickness of intermediately super-soft magnetic NiFeCuMo layer with different thickness of the bottom NiFe layer were investigated. The $H_{EX}$ of triple pinned NiFe(4 nm)/NiFeCuMo($t_{NiFeCuMo}$= 1 nm)/NiFe(4 nm)/FeMn multilayer has the maximum value more less than one of single pinned NiFe(8 nm)/FeMn layer. If NiFeCuMo layer is inserted each into between the pinned and free NiFe layers, we can be used as GMR-SV device for a bio-sensor that has improved magnetic sensitivity.