Gmr Effect and Properties of CoAg Granular Films Formed by Implantation with a Metal Vapor Vacuum Arc Ion Source

Abstract

ABSTRACTCobalt-silver granular thin films were formed by Co implantation into Ag using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) ion source. The magnetic field dependence and the temperature variation of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect and their relation with the processing conditions were studied and discussed in conjunction with results of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy (MFM), and SQUID measurements. Anomalous temperature dependence of the coercive field Hc in the perpendicular-to-film direction determined from GMR measurements was observed for some samples. For one sample, Hc shows a maximum value at around 240K and decreases with decreasing temperature from 240K to 20K. The temperature variation of the magnetization M of this sample exhibits a minimum. The maximum in the Hc-T curve corresponds well with the minimum in the M-T curve. The M-T curve suggests that there is more than one magnetic phase present in this sample. The domain structures of the implanted granular films as revealed by MFM images exhibit very different features compared with those of sputter deposited CoAg granular films.