Magnetoresistance and thermal stability enhancement in FeCr-based spin valves

The enhancement of the magnetoresistance, the pinning field strength, and thermal stability in a synthetic spin valve (SV) where a thin FeCr layer inserted in the pinned layer closer to the antiferromagnetic layer, was analyzed. The improvement of 18% in magnetoresistance ratio (MR) and 1700 Oe in a pinned field was observed when single SVs with 1-nm thick FeCr inserted in the pinned layers. Using a nano-oxide layer and spin filtering the high MR in all-metal single SV was indicated without specular scattering. The results shoe that the FeCr also effects on minimizing Mn diffusion into pinned layer and spacer by the increase of the pinning field.