PtMn characteristics for spin-valve application

Summary form only given. Antiferromagnetic materials (AFM) such as PtMn, NiMn, IrMn, FeMn and NiO are used as an exchange layer in spin-valve stack for the application of read sensors, MRAM and MEMS. The ideal AFM materials should offer high blocking temperature, high exchange coupling and resistance to corrosion. In order to achieve better exchange coupling between the exchange and pinned layers the spin valve stack need to be annealed with magnetic field alignment. Therefore the requirement for shorter annealing process time is necessary for manufacturing environments. PtMn are the ideal materials currently which offers blocking temperature /spl sim/350/spl deg/C, excellent resistance to corrosion, higher than 1000 Oe exchange coupling. High blocking temperature is essential, due to the heat treatment during the device processing, such as curing photo-resist, rapid thermal processing, thermal diffusion, etc. for both MRAM and recording head. Spin-valve (SV) structures were fabricated using Nordiko 9606 PVD system with DC magnetron. In this paper we have studied the effects of Cu and PtMn thickness on the interlayer field H/sub int/, pinning field H/sub ex/ and MR ratio. We also studied thermal cycling of the PtMn spin-vale to determine blocking temperature and it is effect on MR ratio and exchange coupling.