Fully epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe(001) junctions with nonmagnetic metal layer insertion

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3555086· OSTI ID:21560130

Niizeki, T; Mitani, S; Sukegawa, H; Kasai, S; Inomata, K ^[1]

---

1. National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan)

Fully epitaxial Fe/Ag-wedge/MgO/Fe(001) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) were prepared by using a combination of magnetron sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy, and their magneto-transport properties were investigated for the Ag thickness range of 0-9 monolayer (ML). The large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios of up to 160% at room temperature were obtained in the Fe/MgO/Fe region (Ag: 0 ML) after the optimization of the preparation conditions. The finite TMR ratio was observed until the Ag thickness reached 4 ML, although no significant oscillation due to quantum well states (QWS) was seen. This is the first demonstration of TMR in the fully epitaxial MTJs with nonmagnetic metal layer insertion which can potentially create spin-dependent QWS.

• OSTI ID: 21560130
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 109; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
DEPOSITION
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EPITAXY
EQUIPMENT
IRON
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETORESISTANCE
MAGNETRONS
METALS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
NANOSTRUCTURES
OPTIMIZATION
OSCILLATIONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUANTUM WELLS
SILVER
SPIN
SPUTTERING
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
THICKNESS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNNEL EFFECT