Boron diffusion in magnetic tunnel junctions with MgO (001) barriers and CoFeB electrodes

Journal Article · Mon Jun 28 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3457475· OSTI ID:21366997

Kurt, H; Rode, K; Oguz, K; Coey, J M. D. ^[1]; Boese, M; Faulkner, C C ^[2]

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1. School of Physics and CRANN, Trinity College, Dublin 2 (Ireland)
2. Advanced Microscopy Laboratory, CRANN, Trinity College, Dublin 2 (Ireland)

Boron diffusion out of the CoFeB layers in model systems with thick CoFeB and MgO layers grown by radiofrequency sputtering or electron-beam evaporation and in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is probed after annealing by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Successive interfaces are exposed by ion milling the stacks, layer by layer, in the XPS system. Despite the presence of thick CoFeB and a high annealing temperature of 400 deg. C, we found no boron in the MgO or at the MgO/CoFe interfaces. Similar results are also obtained in the MTJs.

• OSTI ID: 21366997
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 26; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3457475; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANNEALING
BORON
BORON ALLOYS
COBALT ALLOYS
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY
IRON ALLOYS
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETORESISTANCE
MILLING
PHOTOEMISSION
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SPUTTERING
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
TUNNEL EFFECT
VACUUM COATING
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
BEAMS
CHALCOGENIDES
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
FERMIONS
HEAT TREATMENTS
LEPTON BEAMS
LEPTONS
MACHINING
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SECONDARY EMISSION
SEMIMETALS
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING
TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS