Title :
Annealing effect on exchange bias in Ni81Fe19/Cr50Mn50 bilayers
Author :
Xi, Haiwen ; Bian, Bo ; Zhuang, Zailong ; Laughlin, David E. ; White, Robert M.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA, USA
fDate :
9/1/2000 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The effect of annealing on the exchange bias in Ni81Fe 19/Cr50Mn50 bilayers was investigated. A large increase of the exchange field and coercivity was observed in the samples annealed at temperatures higher than 310°C. The annealing causes the Mn atoms in the Cr50Mn50 layer to diffuse into the Ni81Fe19 layer and form an antiferromagnetic NiFeMn phase, which coats on the Ni81Fe 19 grain surface and contributes to the improvement of exchange bias. An increase of interface roughness due to the Mn diffusion also results in the exchange bias enhancement. The enhanced exchange field and coercivity were explained by the reversible and irreversible motions of NiFeMn moments of the inhomogeneous grains
Keywords :
annealing; chemical interdiffusion; chromium alloys; coercive force; exchange interactions (electron); interface roughness; iron alloys; magnetic multilayers; manganese alloys; nickel alloys; 310 degC; Mn atoms interdiffusion; Ni81Fe19-Cr50Mn50; Ni81Fe19/Cr50Mn50 bilayers; NiFeMn; annealing effect; antiferromagnetic NiFeMn phase; coercivity; exchange bias; exchange field; interface roughness; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Annealing; Antiferromagnetic materials; Chromium; Coercive force; Iron; Magnetic films; Magnetic materials; Sputtering; Temperature;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
