Reversal Mechanism of Exchange-Biased CoFeB/IrMn Bilayers Observed by Lorentz Electron Microscopy

Reversal Mechanism of Exchange-Biased CoFeB/IrMn Bilayers Observed by Lorentz Electron Microscopy

The magnetization reversal mechanism of exchange-biased thin layers with different antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer thicknesses has been investigated using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. The polycrystalline IrMn and amorphous CoFeB bilayers exhibit unidirectional anisotropy, which was induce...

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Veröffentlicht in:IEEE transactions on magnetics 2009-10, Vol.45 (10), p.3873-3876
Hauptverfasser: Kovacs, A., Kohn, A., Dean, J., Schrefl, T., Zeltser, A., Carey, M.J.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Amorphous magnetic materials
Anisotropic magnetoresistance
Anisotropy
Antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials
Atomic force microscopy
Electron microscopy
Exchange
Grain boundaries
Magnetic anisotropy
Magnetic fields
Magnetic force microscopy
Magnetic moment
Magnetic moments
Magnetism
Magnetization reversal
Nucleation
Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
Stacking faults
thin film devices
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Zusammenfassung:The magnetization reversal mechanism of exchange-biased thin layers with different antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer thicknesses has been investigated using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. The polycrystalline IrMn and amorphous CoFeB bilayers exhibit unidirectional anisotropy, which was induced by field annealing. Lorentz analyses revealed that the magnetic moments rotate away from the unidirectional axis before reversal, when the magnetic field was applied collinear to the unidirectional anisotropy direction. No asymmetry of the reversal process was found in these layers according to the vibrating sample magnetometry and electron microscopy observation. Small (
ISSN:0018-9464
1941-0069
DOI:10.1109/TMAG.2009.2024900