The authors studied an effect of ferromagnetic (Co20Fe60B20 or Fe) layer insertion on tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) properties of MgO-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with CoFe/Pd multilayer electrodes. TMR ratio in MTJs with CoFeB/MgO/Fe stack reached 67% at an-nealing temperature (Ta) of 200 degree C and then decreased rapidly at Ta over 250 degree C. The degradation of the TMR ratio may be related to crystallization of CoFe(B) into fcc(111) or bcc(011) texture result-ing from diffusion of B into Pd layers. MTJs which were in-situ annealed at 350oC just after depo-siting bottom CoFe/Pd multilayer showed TMR ratio of 78% by post annealing at Ta =200 degree C.
We investigated the effect of using a synthetic ferrimagnetic (SyF) free layer in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) on current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS), particularly for application to spin-transfer torque random access memory (SPRAM). The employed SyF free layer had a Co40Fe40B20/ Ru/ Co40Fe40B20 and Co20Fe60B20/Ru/Co20Fe60B20 structures, and the MTJs(100x(150-300) nm^2) were annealed at 300oC. The use of SyF free layer resulted in low intrinsic critical current density (Jc0) without degrading the thermal-stability factor (E/kBT, where E, kB, and T are the energy potential, the Boltzmann constant, and temperature,respectively). When the two CoFeB layers of a strongly antiferromagnetically coupled SyF free layer had the same thickness, Jc0 was reduced to 2-4x10^6 A/cm^2. This low Jc0 may be due to the decreased effective volume under the large spin accumulation at the CoFeB/Ru. The E/kBT was over 60, resulting in a retention time of over ten years and suppression of the write current dispersion for SPRAM. The use of the SyF free layer also resulted in a bistable (parallel/antiparallel) magnetization configuration at zero field, enabling the realization of CIMS without the need to apply external fields to compensate for the offset field.
Using first-principles calculations, we investigated the impact of chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V) impurities on the magnetic anisotropy and spin polarization in Fe/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions. It is demonstrated using layer resolved anisotropy calculation technique, that while the impurity near the interface has a drastic effect in decreasing the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), its position within the bulk allows maintaining high surface PMA. Moreover, the effective magnetic anisotropy has a strong tendency to go from in-plane to out-of-plane character as a function of Cr and V concentration favoring out-of-plane magnetization direction for ~1.5 nm thick Fe layers at impurity concentrations above 20 %. At the same time, spin polarization is not affected and even enhanced in most situations favoring an increase of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) values.
Using first-principles calculations, we elucidate microscopic mechanisms of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA)in Fe/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions through evaluation of orbital and layer resolved contributions into the total anisotropy value. It is demonstrated that the origin of the large PMA values is far beyond simply considering the hybridization between Fe-3d$ and O-2p orbitals at the interface between the metal and the insulator. On-site projected analysis show that the anisotropy energy is not localized at the interface but it rather propagates into the bulk showing an attenuating oscillatory behavior which depends on orbital character of contributing states and interfacial conditions. Furthermore, it is found in most situations that states with $d_{yz(xz)}$ and $d_{z^2}$ character tend always to maintain the PMA while those with $d_{xy}$ and $d_{x^2-y^2}$ character tend to favor the in-plane anisotropy. It is also found that while MgO thickness has no influence on PMA, the calculated perpendicular magnetic anisotropy oscillates as a function of Fe thickness with a period of 2ML and reaches a maximum value of 3.6 mJ/m$^2$.
Thermal stability factor (delta) of recording layer was studied in perpendicular anisotropy CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs) with various CoFeB recording layer thicknesses and junction sizes. In all series of p-MTJs with different thicknesses, delta is virtually independent of the junction sizes of 48-81 nm in diameter. The values of delta increase linearly with increasing the recording layer thickness. The slope of the linear fit is explained well by a model based on nucleation type magnetization reversal.
We have studied magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) thin-film stacks using the First Order Reversal Curve (FORC) method. These have very sharp structures in the FORC distribution, unlike most particulate systems or patterned films. These structures are hard to study using conventional FORC analysis programs that require smoothing, because this washes out the structure. We have used a new analysis program (FORC+) that is designed to distinguish fine-scale structure from noise without the use of smoothing, to identify these structures and gain information about the switching mechanism of the stack.
K. Mizunuma
,S. Ikeda
,J. H. Park
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(2009)
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"MgO barrier-perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with CoFe/Pd multilayers and ferromagnetic insertion layers"
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Shoji Ikeda
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