Giant magnetoresistance in electrodeposited films

Abstract

Electrodeposition is one of the simpler and cheaper processes available for the fabrication of thin metal films. Recent developments have made it possible to electrodeposit a wide range of nanostructured materials, including many that exhibit giant magnetoresistance (GMR). We review progress in the growth and characterization of such films, starting with electrodeposited ferromagnetic metal/non-magnetic metal superlattices in which the individual layers can be as thin as 10 /spl Aring/ or less and for which several workers have reported significant GMR at room temperature. Next we describe a method which can be used to produce superlattices having a thickness of several /spl mu/m and an area of less than 1 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. These "superlattice nanowires" are ideal for measurements of GMR in the current perpendicular to plane (CPP) geometry and are an example of a structure which at present can only be produced by electrodeposition. Finally, we consider the electrodeposition of heterogeneous alloy films showing GMR.