Large exchange bias enhancement in (Pt(or Pd)/Co)/IrMn/Co trilayers with ultrathin IrMn thanks to interfacial Cu dusting

G. Vinai (1, 2) , Jérôme Moritz (3) , S. Bandiera (2) , I. L. Prejbeanu (1) , B. Dieny (1)

1 SPINTEC - SPINtronique et TEchnologie des Composants
2 CROCUS Technology
3 IJL - Institut Jean Lamour

The magnitude of exchange bias (H-ex) at room temperature can be significantly enhanced in IrMn/Co and (Pt(or Pd)/Co)/IrMn/Co structures thanks to the insertion of an ultrathin Cu dusting layer at the IrMn/Co interface. The combination of trilayer structure and interfacial Cu dusting leads to a three-fold increase in H-ex as compared to the conventional IrMn/Co bilayer structure, with an increased blocking temperature (T-B) and a concave curvature of the temperature dependence H-ex(T), ideal for improved Thermally Assisted-Magnetic Random Access Memory storage layer. This exchange bias enhancement is ascribed to a reduction of the spin frustration at the IrMn/Co interface thanks to interfacial Cu addition.

Domaines: Physique des plasmas [physics.plasm-ph]

G. Vinai, Jérôme Moritz, S. Bandiera, I. L. Prejbeanu, B. Dieny. Large exchange bias enhancement in (Pt(or Pd)/Co)/IrMn/Co trilayers with ultrathin IrMn thanks to interfacial Cu dusting. Applied Physics Letters, 2014, 104 (16), ⟨10.1063/1.4872265⟩. ⟨hal-01286870⟩