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Magnetic characterization of (001) and (111) Ni films epitaxially grown on MgO

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

R. A. Lukaszew ,
V. Stoica  and
R. Clarke
R. A. Lukaszew
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606
V. Stoica
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606
R. Clarke
Affiliation:
Randall Laboratory of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Abstract

One interesting application of epitaxial magnetic thin films is to use them as one of the electrodes in a spin-dependent tunneling junction, in order to use the magnetocrystalline anisotropy to define the required two states of the magnetization. [1] In our preliminary work, we prepared epitaxial magnetic films on copper buffer layers grown on silicon substrates. [2] The single crystalline quality of the films was particularly evident in the magnetization hysteresis loops, showing a sharp reversal at fairly high fields (120 Oe), when the samples were magnetized along the crystallographic easy axis. One technological disadvantage in this type of samples is the chemical interaction between the metallic layers and the silicon substrate.

In order to explore the possibility of epitaxial magnetic films on less reactive substrates, we studied the growth on MgO substrates. We have shown that it is possible to obtain epitaxial (001) and (111) Ni films grown on MgO substrates. [3] In particular we observed that the crystalline quality of the films improved considerably after 10 nm of film growth. We will now present our studies on the magnetic properties of these films, particularly the azimuthal dependence of the magnetization reversal using MOKRE, correlating our finding with the structural characterization obtained with RHEED, STM and XRD.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 674: Symposia T/U/V – Applications of Ferromagnetic and Optical Materials, Storage and Magnetoelectronics , 2001 , T1.7
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

References and Notes

[1]. Lukaszew, R. A., Sheng, Y., Uher, C. and Clarke, R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 1941 (1999).Google Scholar
[2]. Lukaszew, R. A., Sheng, Y., Uher, C. and Clarke, R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 724 (2000).Google Scholar
[3]. Lukaszew, R. A., Stoica, V., Uher, C. and Clarke, R., MRS Proceedings, Fall 2000.Google Scholar
[4]. Stoner, E. C. and Wohlfarth, E. P., Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A–240, 599–644 (1948). [two authors]Google Scholar
[5]. Lukaszew, R. A., Smith, E., Naik, R. and Clarke, R., submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (2001)Google Scholar
[6]. K1 is negative for fcc Co making the in-plane [001] direction a magnetic hard axis.Google Scholar
[7]. Lukaszew, R. A., Naik, R., Mountfield, K. R. and Artman, K. R., J. Appl. Phys. 79, 4787–4789 (1996). [four authors]Google Scholar
[8]. Florczak, J. M. and Dahlberg, E. D., Phys. Rev. B 44, 9338–9347 (1991). [two authors]Google Scholar
[9]. Soohoo, R. F., Magnetic Thin Films, (Harper and Row, New York, 1965); M. Prutton, Thin Ferromagnetic Films, (Butterworths, Washington, 1964).Google Scholar