Study of magnetic multilayers by RBS with nanometer resolution

The interface roughness of thermally grown giant magnetoresistance (GMR) multilayers was investigated with nanometer depth scale by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) using a high-resolution magnetic spectrograph. Co/Cu multilayers were prepared by electron beam evaporation under ultra-high vacuum conditions in an MBE system. The samples were measured by RES under several scattering angles to obtain the concentration depth profiles. Ion beam mixing effects deduced from the experimental data and theoretical models were used to unfold the experimental spectra, giving the initial interface roughness. It is shown that the interface roughness, comparable to the amount of surface roughness. is probably not responsible for the extremely weak GMR effect. found in this type of samples. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.