Exchange Coupling in NiFe/Ni Bilayer Fabricated By Electrodeposition

Bilayers of soft NiFe (150 nm-420 nm) on hard Ni (150 nm) were prepared by electrodeposition. The process of magnetization reversal in the NiFe/Ni bilayers was then investigated. The hysteresis loop generated by a magnetization reversal of soft NiFe under a positive saturation state of a hard Ni layer shows a shift along the negative field axis, which is clear evidence for the exchange spring effect in the NiFe/Ni bilayers. The dependence of the coercive field $H_c$ and exchange bias field Hex on the thickness of the NiFe layer was also investigated. As the NiFe thickness increases from 150 nm to 420 nm, both $H_c$ and $H_{ex}$ decrease rapidly from $H_c$= 51.7 Oe and $H_{ex}$ = 12.2 Oe, and saturate to $H_c$ = 5.8 Oe and $H_{ex}$ = 3.5 Oe.