Enhanced GMR amplitude and temperature stability of copper/permalloy combination multilayers

The high effect amplitude of {Cu/Py} multilayers at first antiferromagnetic coupling maximum (AFCM) can be combined with the temperature stability of multilayers at second AFCM by using both corresponding copper layer thicknesses in one multilayer stack. Multilayers that consist of alternating blocks of 1st and 2nd AFCM with at least two double layers each reveal the same temperature stability as multilayers at 2nd AFCM but retain higher GMR amplitude. Knowing the GMR characteristics of the multilayers at 1st and 2nd AFCM as well as of the multilayer with directly alternating copper layer thicknesses (1st, 2nd) the GMR characteristics of combination multilayers with enhanced temperature stability can be predicted. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.