Abstract
The orientation effect on the exchange field in the sputtered NiFeO/NiFe system was investigated. In-plane textured MgO films, deposited by the ion beam assisted deposition, were used as structural templates to modify the crystalline orientations of NiFeO. When the in-plane orientation of NiFeO was aligned more perfectly, the exchange field was higher. This effect may be attributable to the vector sum of moments of the NiFeO sublattice at the NiFeO/NiFe interface. The exchange field is also affected by the out-of-plane alignment, which is related to the plane anisotropic energy of NiFeO. Well-aligned out-of-plane (100) texture of NiFeO enhances the exchange field. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.