Beta (β) tungsten thin films: Structure, electron transport, and giant spin Hall effect
- Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 (United States)
We use a simple magnetron sputtering process to fabricate beta (β) tungsten thin films, which are capable of generating giant spin Hall effect. As-deposited thin films are always in the metastable β-W phase from 3.0 to 26.7 nm. The β-W phase remains intact below a critical thickness of 22.1 nm even after magnetic thermal annealing at 280 °C, which is required to induce perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in a layered structure of β-W/Co{sub 40}Fe{sub 40}B{sub 20}/MgO. Intensive annealing transforms the thicker films (>22.1 nm) into the stable α-W phase. We analyze the structure and grain size of both β- and α-W thin films. Electron transport in terms of resistivity and normal Hall effect is studied over a broad temperature range of 10 K to at least 300 K on all samples. Very low switching current densities are achieved in β-W/Co{sub 40}Fe{sub 40}B{sub 20}/MgO with PMA. These basic properties reveal useful behaviors in β-W thin films, making them technologically promising for spintronic magnetic random access memories and spin-logic devices.
- OSTI ID:
- 22399004
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 18; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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