Atomic scale structure of sputtered metal multilayers

A combined theoretical and experimental approach has been used to study nanoscale CoFe/Cu/CoFe multilayer films grown by sputter deposition. Such films have applications in sensors that utilize the giant magnetoresistance effect, for example, read heads in high-density information storage devices. A...

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Veröffentlicht in:Acta materialia Jg. 49; H. 19; S. 4005 - 4015
Hauptverfasser: Zhou, X.W., Wadley, H.N.G., Johnson, R.A., Larson, D.J., Tabat, N., Cerezo, A., Petford-Long, A.K., Smith, G.D.W., Clifton, P.H., Martens, R.L., Kelly, T.F.
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 14.11.2001
Elsevier Science
Schlagworte:
Applied sciences
Atom probe
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology
Deposition by sputtering
Exact sciences and technology
Magnetoresistive effects
Materials science
Metals. Metallurgy
Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy
Molecular dynamics
Multilayers
Physics
Surfaces & interfaces
Magnetoresistive effects
Molecular dynamics
Multilayers
Surfaces & interfaces
Atom probe
Thin films
Interfaces
Metals
Physical vapor deposition
Theoretical study
Surfaces
Magnetoresistance
Sputtering
ISSN:1359-6454, 1873-2453
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Zusammenfassung:A combined theoretical and experimental approach has been used to study nanoscale CoFe/Cu/CoFe multilayer films grown by sputter deposition. Such films have applications in sensors that utilize the giant magnetoresistance effect, for example, read heads in high-density information storage devices. Atomistic simulations based on a molecular dynamics approach and an alloy form of the embedded atom method have been developed to accurately model the sputter deposition of the CoFe/Cu/CoFe multilayers. The simulations show that relatively flat interfaces are formed because of the energetic deposition conditions. However, significant intermixing at the CoFe-on-Cu interface, but not at the Cu-on-CoFe interface, was observed. An abnormal Fe depletion zone is also revealed at the CoFe-on-Cu interface. A three-dimensional atom probe method has been used for a nanoscale chemical analysis of the films. It provided direct verification of the simulations. The simulations have then been used to understand the mechanism responsible for the formation of the intermixing defects observed in the multilayers. A novel deposition technique is proposed which reduces both interfacial mixing and Fe depletion by controlling the incident adatom energies.
ISSN:1359-6454
1873-2453
DOI:10.1016/S1359-6454(01)00287-7