Layer Of Magnetic Tunnel Junction Research Articles

Pumping laser excited spins through MgO barriers

We present a study of the tunnel magneto-Seebeck (TMS) effect in MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). The electrodes consist of CoFeB with in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The temperature gradients which generate a voltage across the MTJs layer stack are created using laser heating. Using this method, the temperature can be controlled on the micrometer length scale: here, we investigate, how both, the TMS voltage and the TMS effect, depend on the size, position and intensity of the applied laser spot. For this study, a large variety of different temperature distributions was created across the junction. We recorded 2D maps of voltages generated by heating in dependence of the laser spot position and the corresponding calculated TMS values. The voltages change in value and sign, from large positive values when heating the MTJ directly in the centre to small values when heating the junction on the edges and even small negative values when heating the sample away from the junction. Those zero crossings lead to very high calculated TMS ratios. Our systematic analysis shows, that the distribution of the temperature gradient is essential, to achieve high voltage signals and reasonable resulting TMS ratios. Furthermore, artefacts on the edges produce misleading results, but also open up further possibilities of more complex heating scenarios for spincaloritronics in spintronic devices.

Enhanced ferromagnetic resonance linewidth of the free layer in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions.

We report the frequency dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth of the free layer in magnetic tunnel junctions with all perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetized layers. While the magnetic-field-swept linewidth nominally shows a linear growth with frequency in agreement with Gilbert damping, an additional frequency-dependent linewidth broadening occurs that shows a strong asymmetry between the absorption spectra for increasing- and decreasing external magnetic field. Inhomogeneous magnetic fields produced during reversal of the reference and pinned layer complex is demonstrated to be at the origin of the symmetry breaking and the linewidth enhancement. Consequentially, this linewidth enhancement provides indirect information on the magnetic coercivity of the reference and pinned layers. These results have important implications for the characterization of perpendicular magnetized magnetic random access memory bit cells.

Voltage-induced magnetization dynamics in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions

Recent progress in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a perpendicular easy axis consisting of CoFeB and MgO stacking structures has shown that magnetization dynamics are induced due to voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA), which will potentially lead to future low-power-consumption information technology. For manipulating magnetizations in MTJs by applying voltage, it is necessary to understand the coupled magnetization motion of two magnetic (recording and reference) layers. In this report, we focus on the magnetization motion of two magnetic layers in MTJs consisting of top layers with an in-plane easy axis and bottom layers with a perpendicular easy axis, both having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. According to rectified voltage (Vrec) measurements, the amplitude of the magnetization motion depends on the initial angles of the magnetizations with respect to the VCMA direction. Our numerical simulations involving the micromagnetic method based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation of motion indicate that the magnetization motion in both layers is induced by a combination of VCMA and transferred angular momentum, even though the magnetic easy axes of the two layers are different. Our study will lead to the development of voltage-controlled MTJs having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy by controlling the initial angle between magnetizations and VCMA directions.

Observation of giant magnetoresistance in CoFeN/AlOx/CoFeN magnetic tunneling junctions employing a nitrogen-doped amorphous CoFeN free layer electrode

We examine the crystallographic and magnetic features of nitrogen-doped amorphous CoFe (CoFeN) electrodes for application as ferromagnetic free layers in magnetic tunnel junctions, in which precise control of the nitrogen content is crucial for achieving the desirable magnetic features. Incorporating nitrogen into the CoFe layer during growth provides numerous benefits including a remarkably reduced coercivity of 5 Oe, a phase transition from polycrystalline to amorphous, a low magnetization of 294 emu/cm3, and an enhanced thermal stability up to 400 °C. A high magnetic resistance ratio of about 220% was also obtained for annealed in-plane CoFeN/AlOx/CoFeN magnetic tunneling junctions containing a 1.2-nm-thick amorphous AlOx tunnel barrier. We anticipate that our experimental findings will aid in the development of a variety of future spintronic devices.

Exchange stiffness in ultrathin perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB layers determined using the spectroscopy of electrically excited spin waves

We measure the frequencies of spin waves in nm-thick perpendicularly magnetized FeCoB systems, and model the frequencies to deduce the exchange stiffness of this material in the ultrathin limit. For this, we embody the layers in magnetic tunnel junctions patterned into circular nanopillars of diameters ranging from 100 to 300 nm, and we use magneto-resistance to determine which rf-current frequencies are efficient in populating the spin wave modes. Micromagnetic calculations indicate that the ultrathin nature of the layer and the large wave vectors used ensure that the spin wave frequencies are predominantly determined by the exchange stiffness, such that the number of modes in a given frequency window can be used to estimate the exchange stiffness. For 1 nm layers, the experimental data are consistent with an exchange stiffness A=20±2 pJ/m, which is slightly lower than its bulk counterpart. The thickness dependence of the exchange stiffness has strong implications for the numerous situations that involve ultrathin films hosting strong magnetization gradients, and the micromagnetic description thereof.

Ferromagnetic resonance measurements of (Co/Ni/Co/Pt) multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Multilayers of [Co/Ni(t)/Co/Pt]×8 with varying Ni thickness were investigated for possible use as a free layer in magnetic tunnel junctions and spintronics devices. The thickness t of the Ni sub-layer was varied from 0.3 nm to 0.9 nm and the resulting magnetic properties were compared with (Co/Ni) and (Co/Pt) multilayers. As determined from magnetic force microscopy, magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance measurements, all multilayers exhibited perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Compared with (Co/Pt) multilayers, the sample with t of 0.9 nm showed almost the same anisotropy field of μ0Hk = 1.15 T but the damping constant was 40% lower. These characteristics make these multilayers attractive for spin torque based magnetoresistive devices with perpendicular anisotropy.

Measurement and study of low-frequency noise in TMR magnetic field sensor

The magnetic field sensor based on tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect has potential applications in various fields due to its very high field sensitivity and low power comsuption. However, the resolution of magnetic sensor depends on not only field sensitivity, but also intrinsic noise level. The intrinsic noise of an electronic device is normally frequency-dependent and increases in low frequency range. In a magnetic tunneling system, thermal magnetization fluctuation in the magnetic layer can couple to the resistance through the spin-dependent tunneling effect and create low-frequency magnetic noise. In addition, the charge trapping effect in the oxide barrier may also contribute to the external low-frequency noise. Therefore, the depression of the noise in TMR magnetic field sensor, especially the low-frequency noise, is extremely important for the application with high resolution requirement. In this work, a low-frequency noise measurement system for TMR magnetic sensor is built by using a highaccuracy data acquisition card and a low noise preamplifier. After subtracting the circuit noise from the measured noise, the noise spectral patterns of TMR magnetic field sensor with a full Wheatstone bridge structure are obtained under various bias currents and external magnetic fields. It is found that the noise spectra of the TMR sensor exhibit a clear 1/f character in the low frequency region and the noise power spectral intensity is proportional to the square of the bias current. By fitting the power spectral density of the noise versus frequency in the TMR sensor, the Hooge parameters are obtained, which remain unchanged in the measurement. The noise intensity increases abruptly in the magnetization switching region of the free layer in magnetic tunnel junction, suggesting that the 1/f noise mostly comes from the magnetic noise. In a magnetic hysteresis loop, this noise power is strongly field-dependent, which is due to thermal magnetization fluctuations in magnetic layers. We attribute this magnetic fluctuation to thermally excited hopping of the magnetic domain wall between the pinning sites. Finally, according to the R-H transfer curves and the measured noise spectra of the TMR sensor, the detectable minimum magnetic fields of the sensor are 9 nT and 1.3 nT at 100 Hz and 4 kHz with 1 V input voltage, respectively. These results pave a way for optimizing the noise properties of TMR magnetic sensors.

Titanium nitride as a seed layer for Heusler compounds

Titanium nitride (TiN) shows low resistivity at room temperature (27 μΩ cm), high thermal stability and thus has the potential to serve as seed layer in magnetic tunnel junctions. High quality TiN thin films with regard to the crystallographic and electrical properties were grown and characterized by x-ray diffraction and 4-terminal transport measurements. Element specific x-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed pure TiN inside the thin films. To investigate the influence of a TiN seed layer on a ferro(i)magnetic bottom electrode in magnetic tunnel junctions, an out-of-plane magnetized Mn2.45Ga as well as in- and out-of-plane magnetized Co2FeAl thin films were deposited on a TiN buffer, respectively. The magnetic properties were investigated using a superconducting quantum interference device and anomalous Hall effect for Mn2.45Ga. Magneto optical Kerr effect measurements were carried out to investigate the magnetic properties of Co2FeAl. TiN buffered Mn2.45Ga thin films showed higher coercivity and squareness ratio compared to unbuffered samples. The Heusler compound Co2FeAl showed already good crystallinity when grown at room temperature on a TiN seed-layer.

Manipulation of magnetization switching and tunnel magnetoresistance via temperature and voltage control.

Magnetization switching between parallel and antiparallel alignments of two magnetic layers in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is conventionally controlled either by an external magnetic field or by an electric current. Here, we report that the manipulation of magnetization switching and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) in perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB MTJs can be achieved by both temperature and voltage. At a certain range of temperature, coercivity crossover between top and bottom magnetic layers is observed in which the TMR ratio of the MTJs is almost unmeasurable. Furthermore, the temperature range can be tuned reversibly by an electric voltage. Magnetization switching driven by the voltage reveals an unconventional phenomenon such that the voltage driven coercivity changes with temperature are quite different for top and bottom CoFeB layers. A model based on thermally-assisted domain nucleation and propagation is developed to explain the frequency and temperature dependence of coercivity. The present results of controlling the magnetization switching by temperature and voltage may provide an alternative route for novel applications of MTJs based spintronic devices.

Effects of quantum-well states on the tunneling magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions

When a nonmagnetic spacer is inserted between the insulator and the ferromagnetic layer in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), spin-polarized quantum-well (QW) states may be formed in the nonmagnetic layer. We theoretically investigate the effect of the QW states on the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in MTJs with an inserted nonmagnetic spacer using a free-electron model. When the spin-dependent confinement caused by the ferromagnetic layer is very strong, the TMR may converge to a finite value as a function of the nonmagnetic spacer thickness, and another oscillation period related to the QW state may appear.

Perpendicular-anisotropy magnetic tunnel junction switched by spin-Hall-assisted spin-transfer torque

We investigate the magnetization switching induced by spin-Hall-assisted spin-transfer torque (STT) in a three-terminal device consisting of a perpendicular-anisotropy magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and an β-W strip. Magnetization dynamics in free layer of MTJ is simulated by solving numerically a modified Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation. The influences of spin-Hall write current (density, duration and direction) on the STT switching are evaluated. We find that the switching speed of a STT-MTJ can be significantly improved (reduced to <1 ns) by using a sufficiently large spin-Hall write current density (~25 MA cm−2) with an appropriate duration (~0.5 ns). Finally we develop an electrical model of three-terminal MTJ/β-W device with Verilog-A language and perform transient simulation of switching a 4 T/1MTJ/1β-W memory cell with Spectre simulator. Simulation results demonstrate that spin-Hall-assisted STT-MTJ has advantages over conventional STT-MTJ in write speed and energy.

Reducing spin-torque switching current by incorporating an ultra-thin Ta layer with CoFeB free layer in magnetic tunnel junctions

We studied the spin torque switching in dual MgO layer based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) by incorporating an ultra-thin (0.5 nm) Ta layer at the CoFeB free layer/top MgO layer interface. The Ta incorporated MTJ showed a significant reduction (∼30%) in critical switching current density (JC0 ) as compared to that of the control MTJ whilst maintaining the same tunneling magnetoresistance as well as thermal stability. The reduction of JC0 can be attributed to the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy arising from the incorporation of an ultrathin Ta layer with the MgO|CoFeB structure. This scheme of reducing JC0 without degrading other properties may contribute to the development of spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory for low power applications

Crystallization characteristics of a middle CoFeB layer in a double MgO barrier magnetic tunnel junction

The crystallization characteristics of a middle CoFeB free layer in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with double MgO barriers were investigated by tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) measurements of patterned cells across an 8-inch wafer. The MTJ structure was designed to have two CoFeB free layers and one bottom pinned layer, separated by MgO tunnel barriers. The observed resistance showed three types of TMR curves depending on the crystallization of the middle CoFeB layer. From the analysis of TMR curves, coherent crystallization of the middle CoFeB layer with the top and bottom MgO barriers was found to occur non-uniformly: About 80% of the MTJ cells in the wafer exhibited coherent crystallization of the middle CoFeB layers with the bottom MgO tunnel barrier, while others had coherent crystallization with the top MgO tunnel barrier or both barriers. This non-uniform crystallization of the middle CoFeB layer in a double MTJ was also clearly observed in tunneling electron microscopy images. Thus, control of the crystallization of the middle CoFeB layer is important for optimizing the MTJ with double MgO barriers, and especially for the fabrication of double barrier MTJ on a large area substrate.

Influence of oxygen content on the crystallinity of MgO layers in magnetic tunnel junctions

With RF sputtering process, Si/SiO2/Ta/Ru/Ta/CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB/Ta/Ru structure has been grown on Si (100) substrate. Attempting different targets and adjusting the oxygen dose, the crystallization quality of the MgO layer is studied. The X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate that crystal structure and crystallization quality of MgO layers are related to the type of target and concentration of oxygen in sputtering process. With the method sputtering Mg in an ambient flow of oxygen, not only the crystallization quality of a normal MgO layer with lattice constant of 0.421 nm is improved, but also a new MgO crystal with lattice constant of 0.812 nm is formed and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of CoFeB is enhanced. Also it is found that crystallization quality for both the normal MgO and new MgO is more improved with MgO target and same oxygen dose, which means that this new method is helpful to form a new structure of MgO with lattice constant of 0.812 nm. All of the samples were annealed at 400 °C in vacuum.

Adjusting magnetic nanostructures for high-performance magnetic sensors

The magnetic properties of the soft ferromagnetic layer in magnetic tunnel junctions are one of key factors to determine the performance of magnetoresistance sensors. We use a three-step orthogonal annealing procedure to modify the nanostructures of the free layer in the magnetic tunnel junction to control features such as magnetization reversal, coercivity, exchange field, and tunnel magnetoresistance ratio. We present a sensor with an improved sensitivity as high as 3944%/mT. This magnetic sensor only dissipates 200 μW of power while operating under an applied voltage of 1 V.

Damping parameter and interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of FeB nanopillar sandwiched between MgO barrier and cap layers in magnetic tunnel junctions

We systematically investigated the Gilbert damping (α) and interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (Ki) in magnetic tunnel junctions with a MgO-barrier/FeB/MgO-cap layered structure using the spin-torque diode effect. By increasing the MgO cap thickness, α decreased, whereas Ki increased monotonically. Values down to 0.0054 for α and up to 3.3 erg/cm2 for Ki were obtained for a MgO cap thickness of 0.6 nm. The small α and large Ki suggest that MgO-capped FeB is a suitable free layer for spintronics devices such as spin-torque oscillators and spin-torque magnetic random access memories.

Co/Pt multilayer based reference layers in magnetic tunnel junctions for nonvolatile spintronics VLSIs

We investigated properties of Co/Pt multilayer for reference layer in CoFeB–MgO magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular easy axis. The sufficient thermal stability factor of 284 was obtained under zero applied field in 40-nm-diameter Co/Pt multilayer based reference layer annealed at 350 °C. By applying a synthetic ferrimagnetic (SyF) structure to the Co/Pt multilayer based reference layer, the shift of the center of minor resistance-magnetic field curves was suppressed, leading to higher thermal stability of antiparallel magnetization configuration than that without a SyF structure.

Magnetic properties of MgO-[Co/Pt] multilayers with a CoFeB insertion layer

Magnetic properties of MgO-[Co/Pt] multilayers with a CoFeB insertion layer were investigated and the structure was adopted as a recording layer in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with perpendicular magnetic easy-axis to attain a high thermal stability. Perpendicular easy-axis was obtained with the Pt thickness range of 0.6–1.2 nm and the CoFeB thickness range of 0.6–1.5 nm. As-made MTJs employing the CoFeB-[Co/Pt] multilayer structure as a recording layer showed tunnel magnetoresistance of 40% on average. A high thermal stability factor over 200 was obtained in the MTJs with the size of 25 nm in diameter.

Optimization of Tunneling Magnetoresistance in Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junctions With Co|Pd Reference Layers

We report on the optimization of Co|Pd-multilayer-based reference layers in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. By inserting a thin Ta-spacer layer between the CoFeB interfacial layer and Co|Pd multilayer, a high tunneling magnetoresistance up to 98.5% can be achieved. Electron energy loss spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies show that the high magnetoresistance is related primarily to the suppression of Pd diffusion and secondarily to improved CoFeB texture during annealing.

Spintronic oscillator based on magnetic field feedback

We present a circuit design of a spintronic oscillator based on a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). In this design, a dc current is passed through a magnetic tunnel junction which is connected to a “feed-back” wire below it. Any fluctuation in the magnetization direction of the free layer of MTJ, drives a fluctuating current through the feed-back wire, which exerts a magnetic field on the free layer. This in turn can amplify the magnetization fluctuations. If the dc current passing through the MTJ is more than a critical value, periodic precessional states of the magnetization are possible.