Magnetoresistive sensitivity and uniaxial anisotropy of spin-valve microstrips with a synthetic antiferromagnet

• Published in: Physics of metals and metallography Vol. 118; no. 5; pp. 415 - 420
• Main Authors: Chernyshova, T. A., Milyaev, M. A., Naumova, L. I., Proglyado, V. V., Bannikova, N. S., Maksimova, I. K., Petrov, I. A., Ustinov, V. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.05.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anisotropy; Antiferromagnetism; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electrical and Magnetic Properties; Magnetic fields; Magnetization; Magnetoresistivity; Magnetron sputtering; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Microtechnology; Photolithography; Sensitivity; Spin valves; Valves; induced anisotropy; spin valve; magnetoresistive sensitivity; synthetic antiferromagnet; giant magnetoresistive effect
• ISSN: 0031-918X; 1555-6190
• DOI: 10.1134/S0031918X17050040

Microobjects (strips) were formed by contact photolithography using Та/Ni 80 Fe 20 /Co 90 Fe 10 /Cu/Co 90 Fe 10 /Ru/Co 90 Fe 10 /Fe 50 Mn 50 /Ta spin-valves prepared by magnetron sputtering. A mutually perpendicular arrangement of uniaxial and unidirectional anisotropy axes in microobjects has been formed using two different thermomagnetic treatment regimes. The magnetoresistive sensitivity of spin valve and spin-valve-based microobject has been found to depend on the mutual arrangement of the easy magnetization axis and direction of magnetic field applied upon thermomagnetic treatment. The obtained data have been interpreted taking into account changes in the induced anisotropy and anisotropy due to the shape of the microobject.