Fabrication of MgAl2O4 tunnel barrier by radio frequency-sputtering method and magnetoresistance effect through it with Fe or Fe4N ferromagnetic electrode

Masakiyo Tsunoda; Ryoichi Chiba; Kazuki Kabara

doi:10.1063/1.4906762

Fabrication of MgAl₂O₄ tunnel barrier by radio frequency-sputtering method and magnetoresistance effect through it with Fe or Fe₄N ferromagnetic electrode

Masakiyo Tsunoda, Ryoichi Chiba, Kazuki Kabara

ENG - Electronic Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Spinel MgAl₂O₄ thin films were deposited on MgO single-crystal substrates and epitaxial Fe (or Fe₄N) thin films by RF-sputtering from a ceramic target. Epitaxial relationship was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis between the crystalline spinel MgAl₂O₄ films and the respective substrate and underlayers, while no diffraction peak was observed from the films deposited on amorphous substrates. Spin-valve type magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a stacking structure of Fe [Fe₄N]/MgAl₂O₄/CoFeB/Ru/Fe/MnIr exhibited normal [inverse] tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect, reflecting the sign of spin polarization of Fe [Fe₄N]. The maximum magnitude of the TMR ratio obtained for the Fe-based and Fe₄N-based MTJs was 67% and 18%, respectively. The resistance area product values of the MTJs were significantly larger than the reported values for the MTJs with a post-oxidized spinel MgAl₂O₄ barrier.

Original language	English
Article number	17D703
Journal	Journal of Applied Physics
Volume	117
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4906762
Publication status	Published - 2015 May 7

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy(all)

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title = "Fabrication of MgAl2O4 tunnel barrier by radio frequency-sputtering method and magnetoresistance effect through it with Fe or Fe4N ferromagnetic electrode",

abstract = "Spinel MgAl2O4 thin films were deposited on MgO single-crystal substrates and epitaxial Fe (or Fe4N) thin films by RF-sputtering from a ceramic target. Epitaxial relationship was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis between the crystalline spinel MgAl2O4 films and the respective substrate and underlayers, while no diffraction peak was observed from the films deposited on amorphous substrates. Spin-valve type magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a stacking structure of Fe [Fe4N]/MgAl2O4/CoFeB/Ru/Fe/MnIr exhibited normal [inverse] tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect, reflecting the sign of spin polarization of Fe [Fe4N]. The maximum magnitude of the TMR ratio obtained for the Fe-based and Fe4N-based MTJs was 67% and 18%, respectively. The resistance area product values of the MTJs were significantly larger than the reported values for the MTJs with a post-oxidized spinel MgAl2O4 barrier.",

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T1 - Fabrication of MgAl2O4 tunnel barrier by radio frequency-sputtering method and magnetoresistance effect through it with Fe or Fe4N ferromagnetic electrode

AU - Tsunoda, Masakiyo

AU - Chiba, Ryoichi

AU - Kabara, Kazuki

PY - 2015/5/7

Y1 - 2015/5/7

N2 - Spinel MgAl2O4 thin films were deposited on MgO single-crystal substrates and epitaxial Fe (or Fe4N) thin films by RF-sputtering from a ceramic target. Epitaxial relationship was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis between the crystalline spinel MgAl2O4 films and the respective substrate and underlayers, while no diffraction peak was observed from the films deposited on amorphous substrates. Spin-valve type magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a stacking structure of Fe [Fe4N]/MgAl2O4/CoFeB/Ru/Fe/MnIr exhibited normal [inverse] tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect, reflecting the sign of spin polarization of Fe [Fe4N]. The maximum magnitude of the TMR ratio obtained for the Fe-based and Fe4N-based MTJs was 67% and 18%, respectively. The resistance area product values of the MTJs were significantly larger than the reported values for the MTJs with a post-oxidized spinel MgAl2O4 barrier.

AB - Spinel MgAl2O4 thin films were deposited on MgO single-crystal substrates and epitaxial Fe (or Fe4N) thin films by RF-sputtering from a ceramic target. Epitaxial relationship was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis between the crystalline spinel MgAl2O4 films and the respective substrate and underlayers, while no diffraction peak was observed from the films deposited on amorphous substrates. Spin-valve type magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a stacking structure of Fe [Fe4N]/MgAl2O4/CoFeB/Ru/Fe/MnIr exhibited normal [inverse] tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect, reflecting the sign of spin polarization of Fe [Fe4N]. The maximum magnitude of the TMR ratio obtained for the Fe-based and Fe4N-based MTJs was 67% and 18%, respectively. The resistance area product values of the MTJs were significantly larger than the reported values for the MTJs with a post-oxidized spinel MgAl2O4 barrier.

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Fabrication of MgAl₂O₄ tunnel barrier by radio frequency-sputtering method and magnetoresistance effect through it with Fe or Fe₄N ferromagnetic electrode

Abstract

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