Structures as FM/NM/FM were deposited onto oxidized Si wafers. FM denotes NiFe (Permalloy - Py), Co layers or combination using Py-Co layers. As NM we have deposited Cu or Al₂O₃ layers. In this work are presented results for Py/Cu/Py/FeMn, Py/Al₂O₃/Py/FeMn, Py/Co/Cu/Co/Py/FeMn and for Py/Co/Al₂O₃/Co/Py/FeMn multilayers. We made magnetoresistance and Hall effect measurements in order to study the magnetic properties of the samples and the quality of the interlayer. Planar Hall Effect measurements were employed to evaluate the magnetization reversal processes and the coupling between the magnetic layers. Also, we made tunnel experiments on the structures with Al₂O₃ as NM layer. Finally, we made some correlations between these measurements. Because the conduction electrons in ferromagnetic metals are spin polarized and the spin is, usually, conserved in tunneling process, Jullires model for FM/I/FM tunneling, predicts that the tunnel junction magnetoresistance is dependent on the relative orientation of the magnetization vectors in the adjacent magnetic layers separated by an insulator, I. The results of our measurements are related with the samples microstructure. The saturation fields obtained when the magnetic field is applied normal to the film plane are less than the values predicted from the shape anisotropy and give us information regarding the films roughness.

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1. Electrical characterisation of magnetoresistive sensors based on AMR and GMR effects used for lab-on-a-chip applications
2. Characterisation of Permalloy based thin films and magnetic multilayers using the magnetoresistance and Hall effect measurements