Abstract
We describe the effects of 1 MeV Si+ ion-beam irradiation on a sputtered Co/Ag multilayer with layer thicknesses of 5 Å for Co and 25 Å for Ag, thicknesses for which the magnetoresistance is maximum in the as-deposited sample. X-ray diffraction, magnetization, and magnetoresistance measurements all point to the conclusion that the Co is initially dispersed through the Ag and segregates completely upon ion-beam bombardment. Throughout the process both Ag and Co grains maintain a high degree of texture, essentially face centered cubic (111). The magnetization behavior evolves from superparamagnetic to mixed superparamagnetic–ferromagnetic with ion dose whereas the room-temperature magnetoresistance decreases from 12% to 1.5% upon irradiation up to 5×1016 Si+/cm2. Simple models taking into account the size distribution of the Co particles have been used to analyze these phenomena in order to quantify the particle size distribution.
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