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Magnetoresistance and Structure of Granular Co/Ag Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

Mary Beth Stearns  and
Yuanda Cheng
Mary Beth Stearns
Affiliation:
Arizona State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tempe, Arizona, 85287
Yuanda Cheng
Affiliation:
Arizona State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tempe, Arizona, 85287
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Abstract

Several series of CoxAg1-x granular thin films (-3000Å) were fabricated by coevapora-tion of Co and Ag in a dual e-beam UHV deposition system at varying substrate temperatures. These films have low field magnetoresistance values as large as 31% at room temperature and 65% at liquid N2 temperature. The structure of the films was determined using magnetization measurements as well as x-ray and various electron microscopy techniques. The composition was determined using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The Magnetoresistance was measured at both room and liquid N2 temperatures.

We deduce from the magnetization and RBS Measurements that the films consist of Co globules embedded in a Ag Matrix and that there is no appreciable mixing of the Co and Ag atoms in the films deposited at substrate temperatures ≥ 400°K. The size of the Co globules is seen to increase with increasing Co concentration and the maximum magnetoresistance occurs in those films having the smallest Ag thickness which provides magnetic isolation of the Co globules.

We suggest that the large magnetoresistance of these films arises from the same mechanism which causes the low field magnetoresistance in pure ferromagnets, namely, the scattering of the highly polarized d conduction electrons of the Co at magnetic boundaries. The large increase in the room temperature magnetoresistance of the CO/Ag films as compared to those of pure 3d ferromagnetic films is due to the distance between the magnetic boundaries being reduced to a few nanometers, because of the small size of the single domain Co globules, as compared to a few microns in 3d ferromagnets.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 313: Symposium Q1 – Magnetic Ultrathin Films, Multilayers and Surfaces/Magnetic Interfaces-Physics and Characterizations , 1993 , 393
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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References

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