Current-driven switching of exchange biased spin-valve giant magnetoresistive nanopillars using a conducting nanoprobe

The fabrication of an array of exchange biased spin-valve giant magnetoresistive nanopillars using lithography and ion milling was analyzed. The current-driven hysteretic switching of the sample nanopillars was also investigated using an electrically conducting atomic-force microscope (AFM) probe contact at room temperature. The method of current-driven switching using nanoprobe contact was used for developing rewritable and nonvolatile magnetic memory with high density. It was observed that when the current was flowing from the thinner top CoFe layer to thicker bottom CoFe/NiFe layer, the resistance was changed from a higher state to a lower states.