Dependence of exchange bias and coercive field on Cu spacer thickness in oblique deposited Co/Cu/CoO multilayers

Effect of growth-induced uniaxial anisotropy and thickness of non-magnetic Cu spacer between the ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic Co/CoO multilayers on the exchange bias, coercive field, and magnetic anisotropy have been studied in 10–300 K temperature range. Co(8 nm)/Cu(t_Cu)/CoO(4 nm) (t_Cu = 0.6–2.6 nm) multilayers on Si (1 0 0) substrates were prepared using the oblique-angle magnetron sputtering deposition to induce growth induced magnetic anisotropy. The top Co layer was allowed to be naturally oxidized to obtain antiferromagnetic CoO. The films show a strong uniaxial in-plane anisotropy determined by ferromagnetic resonance measurements. Magnetization measurements for both easy and hard magnetization directions revealed that the exchange bias and coercive fields decrease by increasing Cu thickness. The existence of strong exchange bias across the thickest Cu layer shows the long-range character of exchange and dipolar interactions at 10 K. Dependence of Cu spacer thickness shows an oscillatory behavior that can be ascribed to the competitions between Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) and dipolar interactions.