Modifying exchange bias effects of Mn/NiFe bilayers by in-situ Ar⁺ bombardment

Authors

Grace Causer, University of WollongongFollow
Palash K. Manna, University of Manitoba
C C. Chiu, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Johan Van Lierop, University of Manitoba
Mihail Ionescu, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology OrganisationFollow
Ko-Wei Lin, National Chung Hsing University, TaiwanFollow
Frank Klose, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology OrganisationFollow

RIS ID

113684

Publication Details

Causer, G. L., Manna, P. K., Chiu, C., Van Lierop, J., Ionescu, M., Lin, K. & Klose, F. (2017). Modifying exchange bias effects of Mn/NiFe bilayers by in-situ Ar⁺ bombardment. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 409 121-125.

Abstract

In this work, we present a procedure to modify the exchange bias (EB) properties of antiferromagnetic Mn/ferromagnetic NiFe bilayers by in-situ low energy Ar+ bombardment of the Mn layer during sample deposition. We present structural and magnetic results for unassisted and Ar+ assisted Mn/NiFe bilayers. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction results establish different preferred Mn orientation directions between the two samples as a result of the Ar+ bombardment process. Hysteresis loops taken over several temperatures reveal that samples assisted with Ar+ ions during the Mn layer deposition had suppressed EB properties at low temperature as compared to samples grown without Ar+ assistance.