NiFe underlayer effects on exchange coupling field and coercivity in NiFe/FeMn films

The effect of NiFe texture on the exchange coupling field and coercivity of Ta/NiFe/FeMn films was studied by varying the deposition conditions of dc magnetron-sputtered NiFe films. By decreasing argon pressure or by increasing substrate bias, strongly textured, large grains of NiFe(111) were grown, yielding highly oriented FeMn(111) texture. Well oriented NiFe(111)/FeMn(111) films yielded the highest exchange anisotropy (0.14 erg/cm/sup 2/), lowest coercivity (/spl ap/2 Oe), and highest blocking temperature (200/spl deg/C) ever reported.