Spin-Structured Multilayers: A New Class of Materials for Precision Spintronics

Magnetoelectronic multilayer devices are widely used in today's information and sensor technology. Their functionality, however, is limited by the inherent properties of magnetic exchange or dipolar coupling which constrain possible spin configurations to collinear or perpendicular alignments o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advanced functional materials 2016-11, Vol.26 (41), p.7423-7430
Main Authors: Schlage, Kai, Bocklage, Lars, Erb, Denise, Comfort, Jade, Wille, Hans-Christian, Röhlsberger, Ralf
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Deposition
Devices
giant magnetoresistance
Incidence
magnetic multilayers
magnetic sensors
Magnetization
Magnetoresistivity
Multilayers
oblique-incidence deposition
Sensors
Spin structure
spintronics
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Summary:Magnetoelectronic multilayer devices are widely used in today's information and sensor technology. Their functionality, however, is limited by the inherent properties of magnetic exchange or dipolar coupling which constrain possible spin configurations to collinear or perpendicular alignments of adjacent layers. Here, a deposition procedure is introduced that allows for a new class of layered materials in which complex spin structures can be accurately designed to result in a multitude of new and precisely adjustable spintronic and magnetoresistive properties. The magnetization direction and coercivity of each individual layer are determined by the deposition process in oblique incidence geometry and can be completely decoupled from neighboring layers. This applies for layers of any ferromagnetic material down to layer thicknesses of a few nm and lateral dimensions of a few 100 nm, enabling the design of efficient and compact magnetoelectronic devices, encompassing precision magnetoresistive sensors as well as layer systems with multiple addressable remanent states for magnetic memory applications. A free adjustment of magnetoresistive sensor characteristics in arbitrary magnetic/nonmagnetic multilayer stacks is achieved via sputter deposition at oblique incidence. The approach allows to precisely set the magnetization axis and switching field of each individual layer via the polar and azimuthal angle of deposition. Newly accessible multilayer spin structures form the basis for advanced, custom‐made magnetoresistive sensor applications.
ISSN:1616-301X
1616-3028
DOI:10.1002/adfm.201603191