Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 10: Poster I

MA 10.51: Poster

Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 10:45–13:45, Poster A

Magnetostrictive Strain Sensors Based on FeGa Thin Films — •Ahmed Fazir Thajudin, Dirk Meyners, and Eckhard Quandt — Chair for Inorganic Functional Materials, Institute for Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kiel, Kaiserstr. 2, 24143 Kiel, Germany

Tunneling magnetoresistance junctions generally possess a symmetrical characteristic which reflects the switching fields of the soft and hard layers, respectively. This characteristic can be changed by a stress field if the soft magnetic layer is replaced by a suitable magnetostrictive layer. Application of mechanical stress results in a stress induced rotation of the magnetostrictive layer with respect to the reference layer accompanied by a resistance change due to the magnetoresistance effect. Highly sensitive strain sensors with CoFeB electrodes based on this concept were developed recently [1]. Further increase of sensitivity is expected by the introduction of highly magnetostrictive FeGa layers. The magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of magnetron sputtered FeGa thin films are discussed. Moreover, tunneling magnetoresistance stacks with FeGa sensing layers were prepared, patterned by optical lithography and investigated with respect to microstructure, effect amplitude and magnetic switching behavior.

[1] D. Meyners, T. von Hofe, M. Vieth, M. Rührig, S. Schmitt, and E. Quandt, J. Appl. Phys. 105, 07C914, 2009