Giant magneto re si stance and particle size distribution in pulse-plated Co-Cu granular films

Granular alloy film Co0.18Cu0.82 was prepared by pulse electrodeposition, and magnetic and transport properties were examined at room temperature. Assuming the magnetic particle size distribution between 1.5 and 9nm, superparamagnetic magnetization determined by subtracting the ferromagnetic component from the experimental magnetization was analyzed, and the particle size distribution was determined. Magnetoresistance (MR) data were also analyzed by employing the surface-weighted magnetization proposed recently. Although the MR data gave a relatively similar particle size distribution as the magnetization data for the as-made sample, it resulted in a fairly different particle size distribution for the annealed samples. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.