Title :
High tunnel magnetoresistance in epitaxial Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al/MgO/CoFe tunnel junctions
Author :
Marukame, T. ; Kasahara, T. ; Matsuda, K.-I. ; Uemura, T. ; Yamamoto, M.
Author_Institution :
Graduate Sch. of Inf. Sci. & Technol., Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo, Japan
Abstract :
We have fabricated fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) using a Co-based full-Heusler alloy Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al (CCFA) thin film and an MgO tunnel barrier. The CCFA thin film for the lower ferromagnetic electrode was deposited by magnetron sputtering on an MgO-buffered MgO single-crystal substrate, and the MgO tunnel barrier was formed by electron beam evaporation. The microfabricated epitaxial CCFA/MgO/CoFe MTJs showed high tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 42% at room temperature and 74% at 55K.
Keywords :
electrodes; electron beam applications; evaporation; ferromagnetic materials; magnetic epitaxial layers; sputter deposition; tunnelling magnetoresistance; CCFA thin film; Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al; CoFe; HMF; MTJ; MgO; MgO tunnel barrier; electron beam evaporation; epitaxial growth; ferromagnetic electrode; full-Heusler alloy; half-metallic ferromagnet; magnetic tunnel junctions; magnetron sputtering; single-crystal substrate; tunnel magnetoresistance; Aluminum alloys; Chromium alloys; Cobalt alloys; Electrodes; Iron alloys; Magnetic films; Magnetic tunneling; Sputtering; Substrates; Tunneling magnetoresistance; Co; MgO; epitaxial growth; full Heusler alloy; half-metallic ferromagnet (HMF); magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ); tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR);
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2005.854716
