HREM study of the `orange-peel’ effect in spin valves

Abstract Spin-valve microstructure has been studied by means of high-resolution electron microscopy. The investigation has focused on the waviness of the interfaces between the nonmagnetic and adjacent ferromagnetic layers in order to estimate the magnetostatic coupling termed the `orange peel’ effect. Numerical analysis of the high-resolution electron micrographs has enabled quantitative data on the interface waviness and thus on the magnetostatic coupling to be obtained.