Optimization of Fe content in Electrodeposited FeCoCu/Cu magnetic multilayer

Highlights: • Electrochemical deposition of FeCoCu/Cu multilayers were performed. • The electrolytes containing 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 M Fe concentration were used. • The multilayers showed the face-centered-cubic structure such as bulk Cu. • The high GMR value (18.7%) were obtained. • The 2.5, 4.7, 2.4% AMR contributions were observed between LMR and TMR. -- Abstract: The structural, magnetic and magnetoresistance properties of FeCoCu/Cu multilayers prepared by electrochemical deposition from a single bath containing 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 M Fe under potentiostatic control are investigated. The deposition potentials were selected −1.5 V for magnetic layers and −0.4 V for non-magnetic layers concerning saturated calomel electrode. The multilayers exhibited face-centered-cubic structure in the X-ray diffraction. In the multilayer produced from the electrolyte containing 0.05 M Fe, the high saturation magnetization value (572.3 kA/m) was observed and it value drastically decreased 140.6 kA/m in the electrolyte containing 0.1 M Fe. The magnetoresistance measurements were carried out in magnetic fields in the range of ±955 kA/m. The high giant magnetoresistance value (18.7%) were obtained in the multilayer with 0.05 M Fe. In the magnetic sublayers of the multilayers, the more than Cu atoms deposited and due to this, the magnetoresistance curves exhibited the 2.5, 4.7, 2.4% anisotropic magnetoresistance contributions between longitudinal and transverse magnetoresistance.