Effect of annealing on the interfaces of giant-magnetoresistance spin-valve structures

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Abstract
Si/Ta/NiFe/Cu/NiFe/FeMn/Ta spin-valve layered structures were analyzed by x-ray reflectivity, before and after annealing at 240, 320, and 360 °C. Specularly reflected x-ray data were collected using a high-resolution reflectometer and were analyzed by least-squares refinement. The thicknesses of the individual layers in the NiFe/Cu/NiFe/FeMn magnetic sandwich remained essentially unchanged. With the exception of the FeMn/Ta interface, the widths of the buried interfaces increased rapidly with annealing temperature. The increase in widths at each of the NiFe/Cu and Cu/NiFe interfaces from 6.8 to 22.6 Å caused a fivefold increase in the magnetically inactive layer in NiFe and a tenfold decrease in magnetoresistance. An increase in the total film thickness with annealing temperature was found to be caused by the surface oxidation of the Ta capping layer and the growth of a Ta silicide layer between the Ta buffer layer and the Si substrate.