Effect of N2 addition in sputter gas on giant magnetoresistance response of PtMn bottom spin-valve films

Abstract

Interlayer coupling in spin-valve films is usually dominated by the ferromagnetic Néel coupling of a magnetostatic nature due to interfacial roughness. The addition of N2 as a second sputter gas species during deposition of thin layers in PtMn bottom spin-valve films has shown effectiveness in the reduction of interfacial roughness and, therefore, control of ferromagnetic Néel coupling. The interlayer coupling field has been more effectively reduced from an original 38.8 Oe down to 6.1 Oe at a Cu spacer layer thickness of 24 Å with the addition of 4 sccm N2 gas during the Cu spacer layer deposition. In addition to higher giant magnetoresistance values over 10% at thinner Cu spacer layer thicknesses, a pronounced oscillatory dependence of the interlayer coupling field on Cu spacer layer thickness has been observed. Apparently, nitrogen serves as surfactant and helps layer-by-layer growth of Cu on a CoFe pinned layer, resulting in smoother CoFe/Cu and Cu/CoFe interfaces.