A CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction coupled to an in-plane exchange-biased magnetic layer

Journal Article · Mon May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4921967· OSTI ID:22402493

Chong, H.; Vu, Q. B.; Vo, T.; Brooks, R.; Stamper, H.; Bennett, S.; Piccirillo, J. ^[1]

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1. Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, New York 12203 (United States)

We report a stack structure which utilizes an in-plane exchange-biased magnetic layer to influence the coercivity of the bottom CoFeB layer in a CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction. By employing a thickness wedge deposition technique, we were able to study various aspects of this stack using vibrating sample magnetometer including: (1) the coupling between two CoFeB layers as a function of MgO thickness; and (2) the coupling between the bottom CoFeB and the in-plane magnetic layer as a function of Ta spacer thickness. Furthermore, modification of the bottom CoFeB coercivity allows one to measure tunneling magnetoresistance and resistance-area product (RA) of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB in this pseudo-spin-valve format using current-in-plane-tunneling technique, without resorting to (Co/Pt){sub n} or (Co/Pd){sub n} multilayer pinning.

• OSTI ID: 22402493
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 21; 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

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COBALT COMPOUNDS
IRON BORIDES
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETORESISTANCE
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
THICKNESS
TUNNEL EFFECT
VIBRATING SAMPLE MAGNETOMETERS