MAGNETIC AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF SPUTTERED CO CU MULTILAYER FILMS/

The structure and magnetic properties of sputtered Co/Cu multilayer fi lms with various layer thicknesses have been studied. X-ray diffractom etry and high resolution electron microscopy show the films to be poly crystalline with a fee structure and strong [111] texture in the growt h direction. The magnetoresistance (MR) of the films depends criticall y on Cu layer thickness (t(Cu)), with maximum values for films with t( Cu) around 1 nm. Large differences in saturating field are seen for fi lms with t(Cu) and t(Co) differing by a nominal 0.1 nm. The magnetic d omain structure, studied using Lorentz microscopy, shows strong depend ence on t(Cu). High MR-value films showed evidence of antiphase magnet ic domain boundaries. The high MR samples show antiferromagnetic coupl ing, with higher saturating fields than seen in the ferromagnetically coupled films.