Effects of film growth mode on magnetic exchange coupling in trilayer structures (abstract)

Abstract

In situ temperature dependent spin polarized cascade electron spectroscopy is used to study exchange coupling processes between a magnetic substrate and a magnetic overlayer separated by a nonferromagnetic spacer layer. Relative Auger intensities of the overlayer/substrate configurations as a function of overlayer coverage together with a model by Ossicini are used to evaluate the degree to which these trilayer structures grow by a continuous layer growth mode. Measurement of the spin polarization and Auger spectroscopy are used during film growth as criteria of chemical film purity. Evidence will be given to show that the oscillatory magnetic coupling behavior as a function of Cr thickness of a NiFe/Cr/NiFe trilayer changes significantly depending on the deposition temperature, which may be associated with microstructural changes. Competing coupling mechanisms are thought to account for this behavior. Data will also be presented to suggest how trace quantities of residual gas sorbates, presumably acting as surfactants, can dramatically alter the magnetization behavior of ultrathin films. Significant increases in magnetization of a 5 Å Fe overlayer film in a Fe/Ta/Fe trilayer structure were observed and are attributed to changes in wetting characteristics at the Fe/Ta interface which cause morphological changes in the film structure. Conversion of weakly interacting magnetic islands to a long range ferromagnetic continuous film medium exhibiting remanence and a steady state Brillouin functional M(T) behavior is thought consistent with these observations. The possible significance of these kinds of observations to some conflicting data in the literature will be mentioned. © 1991, American Institute of Physics. All rights reserved.