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Session C24 - DMP: MAGNETIC HETEROSTRUCTURES: GMR-METALLIC II
Mixed session, Monday afternoon, March 20, 14:30
Regency Ballroom II, Fairmont Hotel
The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of sputtered Co-Fe/Ag multilayers has been studied in two types of films, one deposited directly on the substrate and the other one sandwiched between two Ta films. The samples were annealed in vacuum to promote breaking of the layers and the formation of isolated magnetic particles, giving rise to enhanced interfacial spin dependent scattering. The dependence of GMR on sputtering pressure, the presence of Ta layers, number of bilayers, and annealing temperature have been studied. It was found that the magnitude of GMR depends strongly on the sputtering pressure and presence of Ta layers. The sharpness of the magnetoresistance MR(H) curve increases with increasing annealing temperature but does not seem to be influenced much by the presence of Ta layers. The main objective of the work is to combine the microstructural and magnetic properties, as well as magnetoresistance data, into a consistent picture giving a better understanding of the origin of GMR.