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Enhancement of current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistive outputs by improving B2-order in polycrystalline Co2(Mn0.6Fe0.4)Ge Heusler alloy films with the insertion of amorphous CoFeBTa underlayer
- Source :
- Acta Materialia. 142:49-57
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2018.
-
Abstract
- We studied the origin of the enhancement of current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) effect by inserting a thin amorphous CoFeBTa (CFBT) underlayer below a Co2(Mn0.6Fe0.4)Ge (CMFG) Heusler alloy ferromagnetic (FM) layer. Large magnetoresistance ratio of ∼25% and resistance change-area product of ∼7.5 mΩ μm2 were obtained at room temperature by inserting a CFBT (1.2 nm) underlayer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope analyses confirmed that the CMFG FM layer deposited on the CFBT underlayer was amorphous in the as-deposited state and crystallized to a B2-ordered polycrystalline film by annealing at 300 °C. The degree of B2 order (SB2) of the CMFG films was estimated by anomalous XRD using x-ray energies around the Co K-absorption edge. SB2 of the CMFG film deposited on the amorphous CFBT (1.2 nm) underlayer was ∼0.76, much larger than that of the CMFG film deposited on a crystalline CoFe underlayer (SB2 ∼0.47). First-principles calculations indicated that the spin polarization of the sp-conduction electrons in CMFG increases with increasing SB2, which accounts for the enhanced CPP-GMR effect in the pseudo spin-valve by inserting an amorphous CFBT underlayer.
- Subjects :
- 010302 applied physics
Materials science
Polymers and Plastics
Condensed matter physics
Spin polarization
Magnetoresistance
Annealing (metallurgy)
Metals and Alloys
Giant magnetoresistance
02 engineering and technology
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
01 natural sciences
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Amorphous solid
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Ferromagnetism
Transmission electron microscopy
0103 physical sciences
Ceramics and Composites
Crystallite
0210 nano-technology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 13596454
- Volume :
- 142
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Acta Materialia
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........f9dc2ed5af8c941d54c28c2a06969ca5