Structural analysis of a (Pt/Co){sub 3}/IrMn multilayer: Investigation of sub-nanometric layers by tomographic atom probe

The structure of a Ta{sub 3nm}/[(Pt{sub 2nm}/Co{sub 0.4nm}){sub 3}/IrMn{sub 7nm}]{sub 7}/Pt{sub 10nm} multilayer exhibiting perpendicular exchange bias has been investigated by x-ray reflectometry and laser-assisted tomographic atom probe (LATAP). A strong intermixing at the Co/IrMn interface is poi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2009-04, Vol.105 (8)
Main Authors: Larde, R., Lechevallier, L., Zarefy, A., Bostel, A., Juraszek, J, Le Breton, J. M., Rodmacq, B., Dieny, B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ALLOYS
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COBALT
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
FERMIONS
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
INTERACTIONS
IRIDIUM ALLOYS
LASERS
LAYERS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNETISM
MANGANESE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
METALS
NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
PLATINUM
PLATINUM METAL ALLOYS
PLATINUM METALS
REFRACTORY METALS
ROUGHNESS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TANTALUM
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
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Summary:The structure of a Ta{sub 3nm}/[(Pt{sub 2nm}/Co{sub 0.4nm}){sub 3}/IrMn{sub 7nm}]{sub 7}/Pt{sub 10nm} multilayer exhibiting perpendicular exchange bias has been investigated by x-ray reflectometry and laser-assisted tomographic atom probe (LATAP). A strong intermixing at the Co/IrMn interface is pointed out by x-ray reflectometry, this interface being more diffuse than the IrMn/Pt interface. A direct observation of this intermixing at the atomic scale is obtained thanks to the LATAP in real space. The three-dimensional reconstructions reveal the atomic planes in the Pt layers and the Pt-Co intermixing in the (Pt/Co){sub 3} multilayer. The analysis of the concentration profiles allows to determine the chemical composition of the Co subnanometric layers; thus providing for the first time an accurate structural characterization of such layers leading to an estimation of their thickness, roughness, atomic concentration and width of their interfaces.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.3106636