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Systematic Investigation of Exchange Coupling in Thickness Gradient Fe/Sm-Co and Co/Sm-Co Magnetic Bilayers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

M. H. Yu ,
J. Hattrick-Simpers ,
I. Takeuchi  and
J. P. Liu
M. H. Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Center for Superconductivity Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019
J. Hattrick-Simpers
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Center for Superconductivity Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
I. Takeuchi
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Center for Superconductivity Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
J. P. Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019
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Abstract

Magnetic bilayers Fe/Sm-Co and Co/Sm-Co have been fabricated with gradient thicknesses of the soft layers in order to systematically study the dependence of exchange coupling on the thickness of the soft layer. The films were deposited in a combinatorial magnetron-sputtering chamber, where the Fe and Co thickness wedges were created by the natural thickness gradient due to the deposition geometry. The soft layer was deposited at two different temperatures (150°C and 300°C) in order to study the effect of deposition temperature on the exchange coupling. The deposition of the Fe layer at the higher temperature (300°C) was found to enhance the interlayer exchange coupling between Fe and Sm-Co. The single-phase-like magnetization reversal critical thickness increases from 12 nm for Fe deposited at 150°C to 24 nm for Fe deposited at 300°C. We attribute the enhanced exchange coupling in Fe/Sm-Co bilayers to the interfacial mixing and the coherent growth of the Fe layer. On the other hand, we found that the exchange coupling between Co and Sm-Co is not sensitive to the growth temperature of the Co layer.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 853: Symposium I – Fabrication and New Applications of Nanomagnetic Structures , 2004 , I2.4
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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