Surface and interface effects in the growth of giant magnetoresistance spin valves for ultrahigh-density data-storage applications

摘要

The current generation of hard-disk drives use giant magnetoresistance (GMR) spin valves as the read-head because the GMR effect is currently the most sensitive way to detect magnetic fields at submicron length scales and data rates of ≈ 10(sup)8 Hz. At present, hard-disk capacities are doubling approximately every year. To maintain this growth rate, GMR values will have to double approximately every two years. To achieve such GMR values, major progress will have to be made in controlling surface and interface effects in the growth of GMR spin valves. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.