Abstract
The properties of magnetic tunnel junctions with aluminum oxide barriers alloyed with boron are presented. When aluminum is deposited by sputtering, 10 at. % B addition is sufficient to completely transform the deposited Al film from crystalline to amorphous. We have investigated if the deposition of amorphous AlB prior to oxidation results in a variation of tunnel-valve properties. It is found that ultrathin Al90B10 films can be readily oxidized using a procedure similar to that for Al films, resulting in tunnel valves with good magnetic properties. In the ultrathin regime (when the specific junction resistance is Rj<20 Ω μm2), the barriers with boron yield magnetoresistance values slightly above that of pure aluminum oxide, although the effect is not significant for Rj<5 Ω μm2.
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