HIGH-SENSITIVE MAGNETORESISTANCE IN EVAPORATED SPIN VALVES WITH GROWTH-INDUCED UNIAXIAL ANISOTROPY

A highly sensitive magnetoresistance behavior related to the well defi ned induced uniaxial anisotropy has been observed in a single spin val ve deposited with a conventional electron beam evaporation. An externa l magnetic field of 20 Oe (deposition field) was applied during the de position to induce the anisotropy, which resulted in a marked increase of the MR ratio. Magnetoresistence changes of 4.1 % (improved from 3. 1 % due to the application of the deposition field) for NiFe/Cu/Co and 6.3 % for NiFe/Co/Cu/Co were obtained in a micro strip pattern prepar ed by an Ar ion milling through photoresist mask A hysteresis free lin ear MR behavior has been realized in the patterned samples.