Enhancement of current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistive outputs by improving B2-order in polycrystalline Co2(Mn0.6Fe0.4)Ge Heusler alloy films with the insertion of amorphous CoFeBTa underlayer

We studied the origin of the enhancement of current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) effect by inserting a thin amorphous CoFeBTa (CFBT) underlayer below a Co-2(Mn0.6Fe0.4)Ge (CMFG) Heusler alloy ferromagnetic (FM) layer. Large magnetoresistance ratio of similar to 25% and resistance change-area product of 7.5 m Omega mu m(2) were obtained at room temperature by inserting a CFBT (1.2 nm) underlayer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope analyses confirmed that the CMFG FM layer deposited on the CFBT underlayer was amorphous in the as-deposited state and crystallized to a B2-ordered polycrystalline film by annealing at 300 degrees C. The degree of B2 order (S-B2) of the CMFG films was estimated by anomalous XRD using x-ray energies around the Co K-absorption edge. S-B2 of the CMFG film deposited on the amorphous CFBT (1.2 nm) underlayer was similar to 0.76, much larger than that of the CMFG film deposited on a crystalline CoFe underlayer (S-B2 similar to 0.47). First-principles calculations indicated that the spin polarization of the sp-conduction electrons in CMFG increases with increasing S-B2, which accounts for the enhanced CPP-GMR effect in the pseudo spin-valve by inserting an amorphous CFBT underlayer. (C) 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.