Electrodeposited Magnetic Multilayers

Abstract

ABSTRACTElectrodeposited magnetic multilayer films consisting of alternating layers of a ferromagnetic and a non-magnetic metal may exhibit giant magnetoresistance (GMR), but the effect is very sensitive to whether deposition is carried out under potentiostatic or galvanostatic control, and the choice of substrate. The texture of Co-Ni-Cu/Cu superlattices grown on polycrystalline (100)-textured Cu plates and (HO)-textured Cu foil under potentiostatic control depended on that of the substrate, while comparable superlattices grown under galvanostatic control had a predominantly (111) texture. The films grown under galvanostatic control generally exhibit AMR or smaller GMR. The magnetic and magnetotransport properties of Co-Ni-Cu/Cu superlattices and a single-layer Co-Ni-Cu film electrodeposited directly onto n-GaAs (100) are also described, and evidence is presented for an in-plane magnetic anisotropy in these samples.