Crystalline reconstruction in Ni-Cr-Fe/Ni-Fe films

Abstract

The occurrence of crystalline reconstruction phenomenon in Ni-Cr-Fe/Ni-Fe films was discussed. To investigate the phenomenon, Ni-Cr-Fe, Ni-Fe, Ni-Cr-Fe/Ni-Fe films were deposited on Al 2O 3 coated substrates in a sputtering systems. It was found that crystalline reconstruction occurs when a nonmagnetic Ni-Cr-Fe film and a ferromagnetic Ni-Fe film are sequentially deposited, but does not occur when the deposition sequence is reversed. The results show that by controlling the crystalline reconstruction, giant magnetoresistance (GMR) properties can be optimized for proper operation of the GMR sensor.