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Structural Studies and Magnetotransport Properties of Sputtered Ni/Co Multilayers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

J.M. Freitag
Affiliation:
Centre for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University St., Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 2T8;
X. Bian
Affiliation:
Centre for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University St., Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 2T8;
Z. Altounian
Affiliation:
Centre for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University St., Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 2T8;
J.O. Ström-Olsen
Affiliation:
Centre for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University St., Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 2T8;
R.W. Cochrane
Affiliation:
Département de Physique et Groupe de recherche en physique et technologie des couches minces, Université de Montédal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Queébec, Canada, H3A 3J7
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Abstract

Ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic Ni/Co multilayers were prepared by DC-magnetron sputtering with component layer thicknesses ranging from 40 Å down to 5 Å. Structural characterizations by x-ray diffractometry show a well-defined compositional modulation along the film growth direction and a preferred (111) crystalline orientation. A longitudinal magnetoresistance ΔR/R over 2.7% with a sensitivity of ~0.11%/Oe was measured at room temperature in small fields less than 20 Oe. The highest room temperature sensitivity obtained in this system was 0.16%/Oe. Magnetoresistive sensitivity was found to vary inversely with the number of bilayers in the multilayers. The magnetic anisotropy of the films as determined by MOKE magnetometry is correlated to the magnetoresistance and indicative of an AMR effect.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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References

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