CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC TEXTURE AND INTERFACE STRUCTURE IN CO CU MULTILAYER FILMS/

This paper reports on the apparent relationship between giant magnetor esistance (GMR) and crystallographic texture in sputter-deposited poly crystalline Co/Cu multilayers. In agreement with previous work, we fin d that GMR decreases from a typical literature value in a randomly ori ented multilayer to a very low value of less than 2% in multilayers wi th a strongly defined [111] fiber texture. The change in orientation a nd the retained integrity of the multilayer is followed by x-ray diffr action and reflectivity, and high-resolution electron microscopy and e lectron diffraction. Modeling of the x-ray reflectivity data suggests that there is no significant change in the interface roughness of the multilayers with change in texture. To complement the magnetic hystere sis and GMR measurements, the transition from partially antiferromagne tic coupling to ferromagnetic coupling has been followed by polarized neutron reflectivity with in situ magnetization measurements.