SEEDED EPITAXY OF CO90FE10 CU MULTILAYERS ON MGO(001) - INFLUENCE OF FE SEED LAYER THICKNESS/

Epitaxial (001) Co90Fe10/Cu multilayers were grown by sputter depositi on on MgO(001) substrates using bilayer seed layers containing thin Fe and Pt layers. The influence of the thickness of the Fe layer on the structure of the Co90Fe10/Cu multilayers was studied by x-ray diffract ion, and compared to its effect on the giant magnetoresistance measure d in these films. The structural quality, especially of the Co90Fe10/C u layers closest to the seed bilayer, and the change in magnetoresista nce depend sensitively on the Fe seed layer thickness. The largest gia nt magnetoresistance effect is found for Fe thicknesses around 12 Angs trom. The influence of the Fe layer thickness is discussed in terms of lattice matching between the substrate, Fe, Pt, and Co90Fe10/Cu layer s, and alloying of Fe and Pt in the seed layer. (C) 1998 American Inst itute of Physics.