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

Abstract 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.