Thermal exchange bias field drifts after 10 keV He ion bombardment: Storage temperature dependence and initial number of coupling sites.

Sputter deposited Mn83Ir17(30 nm)/Co70Fe30(10 nm)/Ta thin films have been investigated for their thermal exchange bias field drift at different storage temperatures after 10 keV He+ ion bombardment in an externally applied in-plane magnetic field. It is experimentally shown that the drift coefficient in an intermediate time interval, as given in a recently developed model, is proportional to T and proportional to the initial number of coupling sites in the polycrystalline exchange bias layer system used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]