Abstract
We have fabricated two sets of NiO-Co-Cu based spin valves by the magnetosputtering technique with different deposition parameters. Magnetoresistance (MR) measurements show that the MR value for the NiO layer under the bottom of Co/Cu/Co spin valve (BSV) is larger than that for the NiO layer at the top of Co/Cu/Co (TSV). The MR value of BSV decreases with increasing annealing temperature in air or in vacuum, which disappears at the blocking temperature of NiO, i.e., about 250 °C. There is maximum MR value for TSV annealing at a temperature range from room temperature to 350 °C. The different thermal behavior for BSV and TSV is explained by the competition between the interface roughness of NiO/Co, which was determined by the grazing incident X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffuse scattering, and the coupling effect between Co layer and NiO layer.
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68.60.Dv; 61.10.Eg; 68.35.Ct; 73.43.Qt; 75.25.+z
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Zhang, A., Wu, X., Sun, L. et al. Annealing effect on magnetoresistance in NiO-Co-Cu based spin valves. Appl. Phys. A 81, 501–505 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-004-3057-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-004-3057-4