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Changes in the layer roughness and crystallography during the annealing of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions.
- Source :
-
Journal of Applied Physics . Mar2009, Vol. 105 Issue 6, p063904-063904-3. 3p. 1 Diagram, 2 Graphs. - Publication Year :
- 2009
-
Abstract
- Annealing is necessary to achieve giant tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) values in sputtered CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). In this study three complementary techniques were used to study the resulting changes in junction microstructure. The as-deposited TMR was modest, 5%, but rose to 101% after annealing at 325 °C for 1 h, corresponding to the tunneling spin polarization rising from 16% to 58%. Soft x-ray resonant magnetic scattering showed a roughening of the magnetic interfaces of the MTJ free layer, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, which also showed the changes in the CoFeB and MgO to a lattice-matched polycrystalline form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00218979
- Volume :
- 105
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Applied Physics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 37259391
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3081652