Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 52: Magnetic Thin Films III

MA 52.9: Talk

Thursday, March 17, 2011, 13:00–13:15, HSZ 403

Towards stretchable magnetoelectronics — •Michael Melzer, Denys Makarov, and Oliver G. Schmidt — Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, IFW Dresden, Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069 Dresden

Magnetic multilayer stacks revealing giant magnetoresistance (GMR) are crucial components of magnetic sensor devices. Currently, GMR sensors are fabricated on rigid substrates. In this respect, successful operation of GMR devices on stretchable and flexible substrates can open up a variety of new applications for magnetic sensors due to arbitrary surface geometries possible after fabrication.

Here, we present a study of the magnetic and structural properties of GMR elements fabricated on free-standing elastic Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) membranes. 40 µm thick PDMS films were spin-coated onto silicon wafers comprising an anti-stick layer, which allows for easily pealing the PDMS film off. GMR stacks consisting of 50 bilayers of Co/Cu as well as Ni₈₁Fe₁₉/Cu were grown on the elastic PDMS surfaces using magnetron sputter deposition. The GMR ratio measured on the multilayers grown on the elastic PDMS is found to be comparable to values obtained on rigid substrates. The optimization of the sensitivity of the resulting GMR elements with respect to sensing of low magnetic fields was performed by tuning the coupling between the magnetic layers. Furthermore, the performance of these magnetic sensor elements upon stretching will be in the scope of the presentation.

The work was supported in part via BMBF project Nanett (FKZ: 03IS2011).