Title :
The Effects of Electrode and Annealing on CoFeB–MgO–TbFeCo Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junctions
Author :
Ye, Lin-Xiu ; Lee, Ching-Ming ; Lee, Jia-Mou ; Tseng, Wang-Ling ; Wu, Te-ho
Author_Institution :
Taiwan SPIN Res. Center, Nat. Yunlin Univ. of Sci. & Technol., Yunlin, Taiwan
Abstract :
In this study, we report the effects of electrode and annealing on the magnetic properties of CoFeB-MgO-CoFeB-TbFeCo structures. The samples of structure bottom electrode/Co20Fe60B20(x nm)/MgO(1)/Co20Fe60B20(0 or 1 nm)/Tb23(Fe80Co20)77(5 nm)/top electrode were deposited on SiO2 substrates at room temperature. The structures were then annealed at the temperature ranging from 250 to 400°Cunder 5 kOe perpendicular applied field for two hours. We found that the magnetic properties of the CoFeB free layer depend on the electrode stack structures. The perpendicular magnetic easy axis of the CoFeB free layer can be maintained after annealing up to 400°C.
Keywords :
annealing; boron alloys; cobalt alloys; electrodes; interface magnetism; iron alloys; magnesium compounds; magnetic hysteresis; magnetic tunnelling; nanomagnetics; terbium alloys; Ta-Ru-Ta-CoFeB-MgO-TbFeCo-Ta-Ru; annealing effects; electrode effects; electrode stack structures; free layer; magnetic properties; perpendicular magnetic easy axis; perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions; temperature 250 degC to 400 degC; temperature 293 K to 298 K; Annealing; Coercive force; Electrodes; Magnetic hysteresis; Magnetic properties; Magnetic tunneling; Saturation magnetization; Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs); perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; rare-earth-transition metal;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2012.2198624
