Magnetic structural analysis of magnetic multilayers by complementary use of X-ray and neutrons

Abstract

A read sensor head of a hard disk drive has a layered structure and consists of several ferromagnetic (F), antiferromagnetic (AF), and nonmagnetic layers. Much attention is now paid to the magnetic structure near the interfaces between the F and AF layers in development of the high performance read sensors because a stable pinning of magnetization of F layer by AF layer seems to be very sensitive to the magnetic structure near the interfaces. It is, however, difficult to study such internal structures using the conventional methods because the interfaces are buried inside the multilayers. Complementary use of X-ray and neutron reflectometry is the most powerful and nondestructive tool to investigate such buried internal magnetic structures. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.