Toward flexible spintronics: perpendicularly magnetized synthetic antiferromagnetic thin films and nanowires on polyimide substrates

Vemulkar, T., Mansell, R., Fernández-Pacheco, A. and Cowburn, R. P. (2016) Toward flexible spintronics: perpendicularly magnetized synthetic antiferromagnetic thin films and nanowires on polyimide substrates. Advanced Functional Materials, 26(26), pp. 4704-4711. (doi: 10.1002/adfm.201505138)

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Abstract

The successful fabrication of ultra‐thin films of CoFeB/Pt with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and antiferromagnetic interfacial interlayer coupling on flexible polyimide substrates is demonstrated. Despite an increased surface roughness and defect density on the polyimide substrate, magnetic single layers of CoFeB still show sharp coercive switching. Magnetic Kerr imaging shows that the magnetization reversal is dominated by a greater density of nucleation sites than the identical film grown on Si. These layers maintain their magnetic characteristics down to a radius of curvature of 350 ± µm. Further, antiferromagnetically (AF) Ruderman‐Kittel‐Kasuya‐Yoshida (RKKY) coupled bilayers of CoFeB were fabricated which are robust under bending and the coupling strength is successfully modulated via interlayer engineering. Finally, a perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) thin film grown on a polyimide substrate is patterned into straight 10 µm long nanowires down to 210 nm in width that displayed the robust switching characteristics of the thin film. These are extremely promising results for the fabrication of robust, flexible, magneto‐electronic, non‐volatile memory, logic, and sensor devices.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This research was funded by the European Community under the Seventh Framework Program ERC Contract No. 247368: 3SPIN, the EPSRC Early Career Fellowship EP/M008517/1, a Winton Fellowship, EMRP JRP EXL04 SpinCal where the EMRP was jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within EURAMET and the EU, and the EPSRC Cambridge NanoDTC, EP/G037221/1.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Fernandez-Pacheco, Dr Amalio
Authors: Vemulkar, T., Mansell, R., Fernández-Pacheco, A., and Cowburn, R. P.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
Journal Name:Advanced Functional Materials
Publisher:Wiley
ISSN:1616-301X
ISSN (Online):1616-3028
Published Online:11 May 2016
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2016 The Authors
First Published:First published in Advanced Functional Materials 26(26): 4704-4711
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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