Effect of thin oxide layers incorporated in spin valve structures

Abstract

The enhancement of the magnetoresistance effect, induced by incorporating nano-oxide layers (NOLs) in a bottom-type spin valve, was studied for various preparation conditions. The effect of a NOL in the Co90Fe10 pinned layer was found to depend critically on the oxygen pressure applied to form the thin oxide film. Pressures over 10−3 Torr O2 yield oxides thicker than about 0.7 nm, which apparently deteriorate the biasing field which exists over the oxide. The magnetoresistance values can further be raised by forming a specular reflecting oxide on top of the sense layer. Promising results were obtained with an Al2O3 capping layer formed in a solid-state oxidation reaction that occurs spontaneously when a thin Al layer is deposited on the oxidized surface of the Co90Fe10 sense layer.