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We present results from an X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) study of CoFeB/MgO bi-layers where we observe process-dependent formation of B, Fe, and Co oxides at the CoFeB/MgO interface due to oxidation of CoFeB during MgO deposition. Vacuum annealing reduces the Co and Fe oxides but further incorporates B into the MgO forming a composite MgBxOy layer. Inserting an Mg layer between CoFeB and MgO introduces an oxygen sink, providing increased control over B content in the barrier., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures

We report scanning tunneling spectroscopy studies of the electronic structure of 1.5 to 3 nm (001) textured MgO layers grown on (001) Fe. Thick MgO layers exhibit a bulk-like band gap, approximately 5-7 eV, and sparse, localized defect states with characteristics attributable to oxygen and, in some cases, Mg vacancies. Thin MgO layers exhibit electronic structure indicative of interacting defect states forming band tails which in the thinnest case extend to approximately 0.5 V of the Fermi level. These vacancy defects are ascribed to compressive strain from the MgO/Fe lattice mismatch, accommodated as the MgO grows.

We report scanning tunneling microscopy and ballistic electron emission microscopy studies of the electronic states of the uncovered and chemisorbed-oxygen covered surface of AlOx tunnel barrier layers. These states change when chemisorbed oxygen ions are moved into the oxide by either flood gun electron bombardment or by thermal annealing. The former, if sufficiently energetic, results in locally well defined conduction band onsets at ~1 V, while the latter results in a progressively higher local conduction band onset, exceeding 2.3 V for 500 and 600 C thermal anneals.

We present X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data which show that the chemisorbed oxygen previously observed to be on the surface of thin AlOx layers formed by room temperature thermal oxidation is bound by oxygen vacancies in the oxide. Increasing the electric field across the oxide, either by over-coating with a metallic electrode, or by electron bombardment, drives this surface chemisorbed oxygen into the vacancy sites. Due to the low bonding energies of these oxygen sites, subsequent oxygen exposures draw these ions back to the surface, reforming chemisorbed O$_2^-$. Al/AlOx/Al tunnel junctions incorporating electron bombarded AlOx barriers show a significant reduction in the low frequency junction resistance noise level at 4.2 K.

This paper reports on the in-plane normal modes in the self-consistent and the cut-out power-law disks. Although the cut-out disks are remarkably stable to bisymmetric perturbations, they are very susceptible to one-armed modes. For this harmonic, there is no inner Lindblad resonance, thus removing a powerful stabilising influence. A physical mechanism for the generation of the one-armed instabilities is put forward. Incoming trailing waves are reflected as leading waves at the inner cut-out, thus completing the feedback for the swing-amplifier. Growing three-armed and four-armed modes occur only at very low temperatures. The rotation curve index has a marked effect on stability. For all azimuthal wavenumbers, any unstable modes persist to higher temperatures and grow more vigorously if the rotation curve is rising than if the rotation curve is falling. If the central regions or outer parts of the disk are carved out more abruptly, any instabilities become more virulent. The self-consistent power-law disks possess a number of unusual stability properties. There is no natural time-scale in the self-consistent disk. If a mode is admitted at some pattern speed and growth rate, then it must be present at all pattern speeds and growth rates. Our analysis suggests that such a two-dimensional continuum of non-axisymmetric modes does not occur and that the self-consistent power-law disks admit no global non-axisymmetric normal modes whatsoever. Without reflecting boundaries or cut-outs, there is no resonant cavity and no possibility of unstable growing modes. The self-consistent power-law disks certainly admit equiangular spirals as neutral modes, together with a one-dimensional continuum of growing axisymmetric modes., Comment: 31 pages, 32 figures, in press at Monthly Notices

The power-law disks are a family of infinitesimally thin, axisymmetric stellar disks of infinite extent. The rotation curve can be rising, falling or flat. The self-consistent power-law disks are scale-free, so that all physical quantities vary as a power of radius. They possess simple equilibrium distribution functions depending on the two classical integrals, energy and angular momentum. While maintaining the scale-free equilibrium force law, the power-law disks can be transformed into cut-out disks by preventing stars close to the origin (and sometimes also at large radii) from participating in any disturbance. This paper derives the homogeneous Fredholm integral equation for the in-plane normal modes in the self-consistent and the cut-out power-law disks. This is done by linearising the collisionless Boltzmann equation to find the response density corresponding to any imposed density and potential. The normal modes -- that is, the self-consistent modes of oscillation -- are found by requiring the imposed density to equal the response density. In practice, this scheme is implemented in Fourier space, by decomposing both imposed and response densities in logarithmic spirals. The Fredholm integral equation then relates the transform of the imposed density to the transform of the response density. Numerical strategies to solve the integral equation and to isolate the growth rates and the pattern speeds of the normal modes are discussed., Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures, in press at Monthly Notices