CHARACTERIZATION OF ION BEAM AND MAGNETRON SPUTTERED THIN TA/NIFE FILMS

Thin Ta/NiFe films were deposited using ion beam deposition (IBD), pulsed, and static magnetron sputtering techniques. These NiFe films show anisotropy field values ∼4 Oe, easy axis coercivities ⩽1 Oe, and hard axis coercivities ⩽0.3 Oe. IBD films exhibit higher magnetoresistance ratios (ΔR/R), while little difference is noted between different deposition techniques in the sheet resistance of NiFe films. A ΔR/R value of 1.8% has been measured for a 90 A IBD NiFe films. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that NiFe films of the same thickness have about the same grain size regardless of deposition technique, however, IBD films exhibit superior (111) texture and crystallinity. Our results clearly indicate that the superior magnetic properties of thin IBD Ta/NiFe films are a result of high crystallographic quality of these films.