Effect of interface on coupling of NiFeCo/TaN/NiFeCo sandwich films

Author

Yeh, T. ; Swanson, D. ; Berg, L. ; Karn, P.

Author_Institution

Solid State Electron. Center, Honeywell Inc., Plymouth, MN, USA

Volume

33

Issue

5

fYear

1997

fDate

9/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

3631

Lastpage

3633

Abstract

Coupled NiFeCo/TaN/NiFeCo films with coercivity of 0.42 and 5.94 Oe were obtained by varying the substrate bias conditions of the NiFeCo films. The film with low coercivity had a sharp magnetization reversal process, i.e. small switching field distribution. On the other hand, a large switching field distribution, approximately 3.5 Oe, was found on the sample film with high coercivity. Such different magnetic characteristic may be attributed to altering the domain wall energy associated with induced coupling at NiFeCo/TaN interface due to pit formation in the NiFeCo film

Keywords

cobalt alloys; coercive force; ferromagnetic materials; interface magnetism; iron alloys; magnetic domain walls; magnetic switching; magnetic thin films; magnetisation reversal; nickel alloys; permanent magnets; soft magnetic materials; tantalum compounds; NiFeCo films; NiFeCo-TaN-NiFeCo; NiFeCo/TaN interface; NiFeCo/TaN/NiFeCo sandwich films; coercivity; coupled NiFeCo/TaN/NiFeCo films; coupling; domain wall energy; high coercivity; induced coupling; interface; large switching field distribution; low coercivity; pit formation; sharp magnetization reversal process; small switching field distribution; substrate bias conditions; Coercive force; Couplings; Magnetic domain walls; Magnetic films; Magnetic properties; Magnetic separation; Magnetization reversal; Magnetostatics; Nonvolatile memory; Substrates;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.619520

Filename

619520