The paper presents a systematic study of anneal induced anisotropies in a CoFe/Ru/CoFe synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) exchange coupled with an IrMn film. When the annealing is done with the SAF in a spin flop state, the magnetic layers can be pinned perpendicular to the annealing field direction. The main parameters controlling this process are identified and analyzed: the value and the direction of the annealing field along with the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida coupling energy between the two ferromagnetic layers. The induced anisotropy is predicted within a theoretical model taking into account the thermal variation of the coupling constants. Finally, the spin flop annealing is used to orthogonally pin the reference and the detection electrodes in an IrMn/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/IrMn spin valve structure. The magnetoresistance variation in this structure is analyzed as a function of the pinning direction of the SAF acquired during the annealing in the spin flop state. A very good agreement is observed between the experimental and theoretically predicted responses.
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15 May 2011
Research Article|
May 23 2011
On the control of spin flop in synthetic antiferromagnetic films
J. Appl. Phys. 109, 103911 (2011)
Article history
Received:
February 09 2011
Accepted:
March 27 2011
Citation
B. NegulescuD. LacourM. HehnA. GerkenJ. PaulC. Duret; On the control of spin flop in synthetic antiferromagnetic films. J. Appl. Phys. 15 May 2011; 109 (10): 103911. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3583584
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