Abstract
The effect of gas adsorption onto the substrate on the exchange-coupling field of an Ni-Fe/25 at%Ni-Mn/Ni-Fe film was investigated. Trilayer films were prepared on an Si(100) substrate by the facing-targets sputtering method. The strength of the exchange coupling, Jk, at R.T. increased rapidly when the substrate surface was etched with RF plasma. From analysis of the structure of films, and in view of the temperature dependence of Jk, it was concluded that the increase in Jk was caused by enlargement of the in-plane diameter of γ-Ni-Mn grains epitaxially grown on underlaid Ni-Fe grains. From an exposing study of dry-etched substrate in various atmospheres, dry- etching was considered to desorb H2O and/or O2 gasses from the surface and to enhance the mobility of sputtered adatoms, thus causing enlargement of the underlaid NiFe grain size.
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