Tunneling behavior in ion-assist ion-beam sputtered CoFe/MgO/NiFe magnetic tunnel junctions

Journal Article · Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATERRESBULL.2012.06.020· OSTI ID:22215621

Singh, Braj Bhusan ^[1]; Chaudhary, Sujeet ^[1]; Pandya, Dinesh K. ^[1]

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1. Thin Film Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110 016 (India)

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Dual ion beam sputtered MgO barrier for MTJs. ► ∼12% TMR at 60 K. ► Glazman and Matveev model fitted for quantification of elastic and inelastic tunneling conductance through barrier. -- Abstract: Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) consisting of CoFe and NiFe as ferromagnetic electrodes and MgO as insulating barrier fabricated through in situ shadow masking employing ion beam sputtering are studied for their tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and temperature dependence of the tunneling conductance behavior. The tunneling characteristics of these MTJs exhibited barrier height of 0.7 eV and width of 3.3 nm. These MTJs possessed ∼12% TMR at 60 K. The temperature dependence of conductance behavior of these junctions have revealed finite contributions from inelastic tunneling through the barrier via hopping conduction via present localized states which arise due to the presence of ionic interstitial defects in the MgO oxide barrier. The fitting of the data reveals that thirteenth order of hopping conduction is operative through MgO barrier.

• OSTI ID: 22215621
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 47, Issue 11; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ION BEAMS
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETORESISTANCE
SPUTTERING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TUNNEL EFFECT