Switching characteristics in magnetic tunnel junctions with a synthetic antiferromagentic free layer

Author

Yun Ki Lee ; Young Keun Kim ; Taewan Kim ; Wanjun Park ; Injun Hwang ; Won-Cheol Jeong ; Jangeun Lee

Author_Institution

Div. of Mater. Sci. & Eng., Korea Univ., Seoul

fYear

2005

fDate

4-8 April 2005

Firstpage

1013

Lastpage

1013

Abstract

The properties of sub-micrometer scaled MTJs using various synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer were studied using remanent-state measurement. The magnetic tunnel junction device was a structure consisted of TiN/PtMn/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/AlO/NiFe/Ru/NiFe/Ta. It was found that junctions using single free layer showed complex switching behaviors with larger switching field variation while the junction using a specific SAF free layer exhibited kink-free R-H curves with less switching field variation. MR ratio and magnetization moment of the MTJ were also measured

Keywords

aluminium compounds; antiferromagnetic materials; cobalt alloys; iron alloys; magnetic moments; magnetic switching; manganese alloys; platinum alloys; remanence; ruthenium; tantalum; titanium compounds; tunnelling magnetoresistance; MR ratio; MTJ; R-H curves; TiN-PtMn-CoFe-Ru-CoFe-AlO-NiFe-Ru-NiFe-Ta; magnetic tunnel junctions; magnetization moment; remanent-state measurement; single free layer; switching field variation; synthetic antiferromagnetic free layer; Antiferromagnetic materials; Couplings; Magnetic domain walls; Magnetic domains; Magnetic field measurement; Magnetic switching; Magnetic tunneling; Magnetization; Magnetostatics; Materials science and technology;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Magnetics Conference, 2005. INTERMAG Asia 2005. Digests of the IEEE International

Conference_Location

Nagoya

Print_ISBN

0-7803-9009-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/INTMAG.2005.1464451

Filename

1464451