Exchange bias and spin valve systems with Fe-Mn antiferromagnetic pinning layers, obtained by the thermo-ionic vacuum arc method

Exchange bias and spin valve systems with Fe-Mn antiferromagnetic layers of different Fe concentrations were obtained by the thermo-ionic vacuum arc method. The adherence of the multilayer system to the Si substrate depends on the Fe-Mn composition. The overall roughness depends on the growing order of the antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic layers. Very low blocking temperatures for exchange bias were observed for the considered compositions of the Fe-Mn layer. The coercive forces of both the pinned and the free layers of spin valve structures can be considerably modified along a large set of samples simultaneously prepared.