We investigated how the Pt capping layer affected perpendicular magnet anisotropy in magnetic-tunnel-junctions fabricated with a Ta electrode, a lower CoFeB layer, an MgO barrier, an upper CoFeB layer, and a Pt capping electrode, which was estimated by using an anisotropy constant multiplied by the upper CoFeB layer thickness (Ku * t). The maximum Ku * t was found at an annealing temperature of 300 °C for an magnetic tunnel junction with an upper CoFeB layer thickness of 0.9 nm, indicating a highly textured MgO (100) barrier of 1.0 nm with none of the remaining Pt inter-diffused in the upper CoFeB layer.
It was found that in double MgO based perpendicular magnetic tunneling junction spin-valves ex-situ annealed at 400 °C, the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio was extremely sensitive to the material and thickness of the nanoscale spacer: it peaked at a specific thickness (0.40~0.53 nm), and the TMR ratio for W spacers (~134%) was higher than that for Ta spacers (~98%). This dependency on the spacer material and thickness was associated with the (100) body-centered-cubic crystallinity of the MgO layers: the strain enhanced diffusion length in the MgO layers of W atoms (~1.40 nm) was much shorter than that of Ta atoms (~2.85 nm) and the shorter diffusion length led to the MgO layers having better (100) body-centered-cubic crystallinity.
For Co2Fe6B2–MgO based p-MTJ spin valves with [Co/Pt]n–SyAF layers ex situ annealed at 350 °C and 30 kOe for 30 min, the tunneling magneto-resistance (TMR) ratio strongly depended on the radio-frequency (RF) sputtering power in a 0.65–1.15 nm thick MgO tunneling barrier, achieving a TMR ratio of 168% at 300 W.
The tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio of a cobalt-iron-boron (CoFeB)-based perpendicular-magnetic-tunnel-junction (p-MTJ) spin valve is extremely sensitive to both nanoscale Co2Fe6B2 free- and pinned-layer thicknesses. The TMR ratio peaks at a Co2Fe6B2 free-layer thickness of 1.05 nm, while it peaks at a Co2Fe6B2 pinned-layer thickness of 1.59 nm, achieving 104%. The amount of tantalum diffused into the MgO tunneling barrier (originated from a tantalum seed) decreases with increasing Co2Fe6B2 free-layer thickness, while the amount of palladium diffused from a [Co/Pd]n SyAF layer decreases with increasing Co2Fe6B2 pinned-layer thickness, determining the crystallinity of the MgO tunneling barrier and the TMR ratio. In addition, the TMR ratio tended to decrease when the Co2Fe6B2 free layer and the Co2Fe6B2 pinned layer switched characteristics from interface-perpendicular anisotropic to in-plane anisotropic.
We elucidated the interfacial-perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (i-PMA) features of full Heusler-based Co2FeAl/MgO/Co2Fe6B2 magnetic-tunnel-junctions as functions of the structural properties of the Pt seed layer including its thickness and ex situ annealing temperature. All of the samples were prepared in a 12-inch silicon wafer process for real industry applications. The observations of the M-H loops emphasize that a thinner Pt seed layer and a high ex situ annealing temperature enhance the surface roughness of the seed layer, providing better i-PMA characteristics. HR-TEM images of the samples were evaluated to understand the structural effects of thin and thick Pt seed layers.
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