Anisotropic giant magnetoresistance induced by magnetoannealing in Fe-Ag granular films

Abstract

The effects of magnetoannealing on the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in FexAg100−x granular films (X=15, 26, 29, 33, 37, and 60) were investigated. The thin films were annealed in a presence of magnetic field of 3 kOe at different temperatures of 300, 400, and 500 °C using various annealing times. It is found that the anisotropic GMR characteristics were developed when Fe-Ag granular thin films were annealed in the presence of a magnetic field. The anisotropic GMR characteristics of the thin films were closely related to the magnetic anisotropy developed along the field direction during magnetoannealing.