Uniaxial Magnetic Anistotropy of a NiO-Spin Valve Device

The shape anisotropy effect of a giant magnetoresistance-spin valves (GMR-SV) device with a glass/NiO/NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/NiFe layered structure for use in the detection of magnetic property of molecules within a cell was investigated. The patterned device was given uniaxial anisotropy during the sputtering deposition and vacuum post-annealing, which was performed at $200^{\circ}C$ under a 300 Oe magnetic field. The pattern size of the device, which was prepared through the photolithography process, was $2{\times}15\;{\mu}m^2$. The experimental results confirmed that the best design for a GMR-SV device to be used as a biosensor is to have both the axis sensing current and the easy axis of the pinned NiO/NiFe/CoFe triple layer oriented in the direction of the device's width, while the easy axis of the free CoFe/NiFe bilayer should be pointed along the long axis of the device.