Tunnel Magnetoresistance with Plasma Oxidation Time in Double Oxidized Barrier Process

Abstract

We fabricated TMR devices which have double oxidized tunnel barrier using plasma oxidation method to form homogeneously oxidized AlO tunnel barrier. We sputtered 10 <TEX>$\AA$</TEX>-bottom Al layer and oxidized it by varying oxidation time for 5, 10, 20 sec. Subsequent sputtering of 13 <TEX>$\AA$</TEX> - Al was performed and the matallic layer was oxidized for 120 sec. The electrical resistance changed from 700<TEX>$\Omega$</TEX> to 2700<TEX>$\Omega$</TEX> with increase of oxidation time, while variation of MR ratio was little spreading 27~31% which is larger than that of TMR device of ordinary single tunnel barrier. We calculated effective barrier height and width by measuring I-V curves, from which we found the barrier height was 1.3~1.5 eV, sufficient for tunnel barrier, and the barrier width(<16.2 <TEX>$\AA$</TEX>) was smaller than that of directly measured value by the tunneling electron microscopy. Our results may be caused by insufficient oxidation of Al precursor into <TEX>$Al_2O_3$</TEX>. However, double oxidized tunnel barriers were superior to conventional single tunnel barrier in uniformity and density. We found that the external magnetic field to switch spin direction of ferromagnetic layer of pinned layer breaking ferro-antiferro exchange coupling was increased as bottom layer oxidation time increased. Our results imply that we were able to improve MR ratio and tune switching field by employing double oxidized tunnel barrier process.