Bending sensor based on flexible spin valve

Abstract Flexible spin valves were prepared by magnetron sputtering on polyimide substrates. The buffer layer that reduces significantly the effect of the polymer substrate on the spin valve microstructure and magnetoresistive properties was revealed. Bending deformation was applied to the microobjects based on the flexible spin valves in parallel to anisotropy axes. It was revealed that during the bend the magnetoresistance changes due to the joint impact of both the change of the magnetic field projection on the film plane and the change of the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic layers. The obtained dependences have been used in construction of bending sensor, in which the flexible spin valve microstripes were united into the Wheatstone bridge.