Abstract
In order to investigate the pinning assist effect of Co100-xFex-nano-oxide layer (NOL), the MR performance of Co100-xFex-NOL specular spin-valves with a wide range of Fe contents was studied. Enhancement of both the MR ratio and the exchange bias field was comfirmed by increasing the Fe content in the Co100-xFex-NOL. This might be due to the interdiffusion of Fe atoms from the nonequilibrium fcc Co100-xFex layer with high Fe content. Furthermore, a ferrimagnetic component is considered to be formed in Fe-rich Co100-xFex-NOL, which improves the degradation of the exchange bias field by the ferromagnetic coupling through the NOL.
