Tunnel magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions with ZnS barrier
A first experimental evidence of a significant tunneling magnetoresistance signal of about 5% at 300 K for a magnetic tunnel junction consisting of hard and soft magnetic layers separated by a 2 nm ZnS semiconducting barrier is reported. The samples have been grown by sputtering on Si(111) substrate at room temperature and have the following structure: Fe{sub 6nm}Cu{sub 30nm}CoFe{sub 1.8nm}Ru{sub 0.8nm}CoFe{sub 3nm}ZnS{sub x}CoFe{sub 1nm}Fe{sub 4nm}Cu{sub 10nm}Ru{sub 3nm}. The hard magnetic bottom electrode consists of the artificial antiferromagnetic structure in which the rigidity is ensured by the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between two FeCo layers through a Ru spacer layer. Barrier impedance scanning microscope (BISM) measurements reveal a good homogeneity of the barrier thickness. Electric transport measurements over square tunnel elements with lateral sizes between 3 and 100 {mu}m, exhibit a typical tunnel current{endash}voltage variations and tunnel resistance of 2{endash}3 k{Omega}{mu}m2 with small variations which never exceed a factor of 2, which is in good agreement with the BISM results. This good reproducibility of the junctions is very promising for MRAMs and transistors applications. {copyright} 2001 American Institute of Physics.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 40203859
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 89, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.1359218; Othernumber: JAPIAU000089000011006748000001; 381111MMM; PBD: 1 Jun 2001; ISSN 0021-8979
- Publisher:
- The American Physical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Electrode roughness and interfacial mixing effects on the tunnel junction thermal stability
Temperature dependence of tunnel magnetoresistance