Magnetic properties and microstructures of Mn−Ir/Ni−Fe exchange biased multilayers on Ta and Cr buffer layers

Abstract

We have investigated the magnetic properties and the microstructures of Mn−Ir/Ni−Fe/(Ta, Cr)/Si exchange biased multilayers. The Mn−Ir/Ni−Fe on a Ta buffer layer exhibited a higher exchange biased field than the Mn−Ir/Ni−Fe on a Cr buffer layer. On the other hand, the Mn−Ir/Ni−Fe on a Cr buffer layer exhibited a higher blocking temperature and was composed of larger grains than Mn−Ir/Ni−Fe on a Ta buffer layer. Both samples had an epitaxial relationship at the interface between the Mn−r layer and the Ni−Fe layer due to the generation of misfit dislocation.