Abstract
In this paper, we report the performance of bottom synthetic spin-valve films with a newly developed ruthenium (Ru)-based nano-oxide layer (NOL). Two energetic oxidation techniques using an ion beam and a gas cluster ion beam were applied for the formation of the Ru NOL in the synthetic pinned layer. The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) was greatly enhanced from 13.8% to 15.7% with no sign of degradation in the pinning strength. In addition, these Ru NOL-bearing spin-valve films have demonstrated an excellent thermal stability, withstanding repeated thermal annealing cycles at elevated temperatures. This performance is clearly superior to that from the spin-valve films with a conventional CoFe-based NOL. The Ru NOL has shown a great potential for high-amplitude read sensor applications.
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