The role of Mg interface layer in MgO magnetic tunnel junctions with CoFe and CoFeB electrodes
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117576 (Singapore)
- IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120 (United States)
The tunneling spin polarization (TSP) is directly measured from reactively sputter deposited crystalline MgO tunnel barriers with various CoFe(B) compositions using superconducting tunneling spectroscopy. We find that the Mg interface layer thickness dependence of TSP values for CoFeB/Mg/MgO junctions is substantially different from those for CoFe/Mg/MgO especially in the pre-annealed samples due to the formation of boron oxide at the CoFeB/MgO interface. Annealing depletes boron at the interface thus requiring a finite Mg interface layer to prevent CoFeOx formation at the CoFeB/MgO interface so that the TSP values can be optimized by controlling Mg thickness.
- OSTI ID:
- 22063925
- Journal Information:
- AIP Advances, Journal Name: AIP Advances Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 2; ISSN AAIDBI; ISSN 2158-3226
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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