Interface stability of magnetic tunnel barriers and electrodes

A. Lamperi; A. T G Pym; D. S. Eastwood; S. Cardoso; P. Wisniowski; P. P. Freitas; G. I R Anderson; C. H. Marrows; B. K. Tanner

doi:10.1002/pssa.200675682

Interface stability of magnetic tunnel barriers and electrodes

A. Lamperi, A. T G Pym, D. S. Eastwood, S. Cardoso, P. Wisniowski, P. P. Freitas, G. I R Anderson, C. H. Marrows, B. K. Tanner

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Grazing incidence X-ray scattering during in-situ annealing has been used to study the interface stability in MgO-based electrodes and barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). In MTJs based on Co 60Fe 20B 20/MgO, low temperature annealing at about 200°C can result in a drop in the tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR). Specular reflectivity measurements show a change in fringe structure at high scattering vector, at the temperature at which the TMR drops. Also, a change in diffuse scatter relative to the specular scatter is observed. Annealing of [Co 60Fe 60B 20ZMgO] ×14 multilayers prepared by three different techniques shows no change in the specular Bragg peaks with no loss of Kiessig fringe structure on crystallization and no change in the diffuse scatter up to 200°C. We suggest that diffusion of Mn from the IrMn pinning layer, present in the MTJs but not in the multilayers, may be responsible for the differences in TMR behaviour. © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2778-2784
Number of pages	6
Journal	Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science
Volume	204
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.200675682
Publication status	Published - Aug 2007

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@article{e75b07b48d7d4f988b515b099ef0a344,

title = "Interface stability of magnetic tunnel barriers and electrodes",

abstract = "Grazing incidence X-ray scattering during in-situ annealing has been used to study the interface stability in MgO-based electrodes and barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). In MTJs based on Co 60Fe 20B 20/MgO, low temperature annealing at about 200°C can result in a drop in the tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR). Specular reflectivity measurements show a change in fringe structure at high scattering vector, at the temperature at which the TMR drops. Also, a change in diffuse scatter relative to the specular scatter is observed. Annealing of [Co 60Fe 60B 20ZMgO] ×14 multilayers prepared by three different techniques shows no change in the specular Bragg peaks with no loss of Kiessig fringe structure on crystallization and no change in the diffuse scatter up to 200°C. We suggest that diffusion of Mn from the IrMn pinning layer, present in the MTJs but not in the multilayers, may be responsible for the differences in TMR behaviour. {\textcopyright} 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.",

author = "A. Lamperi and Pym, {A. T G} and Eastwood, {D. S.} and S. Cardoso and P. Wisniowski and Freitas, {P. P.} and Anderson, {G. I R} and Marrows, {C. H.} and Tanner, {B. K.}",

year = "2007",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1002/pssa.200675682",

language = "English",

volume = "204",

pages = "2778--2784",

journal = "Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science",

issn = "1862-6300",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Ltd",

number = "8",

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T1 - Interface stability of magnetic tunnel barriers and electrodes

AU - Lamperi, A.

AU - Pym, A. T G

AU - Eastwood, D. S.

AU - Cardoso, S.

AU - Wisniowski, P.

AU - Freitas, P. P.

AU - Anderson, G. I R

AU - Marrows, C. H.

AU - Tanner, B. K.

PY - 2007/8

Y1 - 2007/8

N2 - Grazing incidence X-ray scattering during in-situ annealing has been used to study the interface stability in MgO-based electrodes and barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). In MTJs based on Co 60Fe 20B 20/MgO, low temperature annealing at about 200°C can result in a drop in the tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR). Specular reflectivity measurements show a change in fringe structure at high scattering vector, at the temperature at which the TMR drops. Also, a change in diffuse scatter relative to the specular scatter is observed. Annealing of [Co 60Fe 60B 20ZMgO] ×14 multilayers prepared by three different techniques shows no change in the specular Bragg peaks with no loss of Kiessig fringe structure on crystallization and no change in the diffuse scatter up to 200°C. We suggest that diffusion of Mn from the IrMn pinning layer, present in the MTJs but not in the multilayers, may be responsible for the differences in TMR behaviour. © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

AB - Grazing incidence X-ray scattering during in-situ annealing has been used to study the interface stability in MgO-based electrodes and barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). In MTJs based on Co 60Fe 20B 20/MgO, low temperature annealing at about 200°C can result in a drop in the tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR). Specular reflectivity measurements show a change in fringe structure at high scattering vector, at the temperature at which the TMR drops. Also, a change in diffuse scatter relative to the specular scatter is observed. Annealing of [Co 60Fe 60B 20ZMgO] ×14 multilayers prepared by three different techniques shows no change in the specular Bragg peaks with no loss of Kiessig fringe structure on crystallization and no change in the diffuse scatter up to 200°C. We suggest that diffusion of Mn from the IrMn pinning layer, present in the MTJs but not in the multilayers, may be responsible for the differences in TMR behaviour. © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

U2 - 10.1002/pssa.200675682

DO - 10.1002/pssa.200675682

M3 - Article

SN - 1862-6300

VL - 204

SP - 2778

EP - 2784

JO - Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science

JF - Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science

IS - 8

ER -

Interface stability of magnetic tunnel barriers and electrodes

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