Thermally stable perpendicular magnetic anisotropy features of Ta/TaO{sub x}/Ta/CoFeB/MgO/W stacks via TaO{sub x} underlayer insertion

Journal Article · Sun Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4895709· OSTI ID:22306000

Yang, SeungMo; Lee, JaBin; An, GwangGuk ^[1]; Kim, JaeHong ^[2]; Chung, WooSeong ^[3]; Hong, JinPyo ^[1]

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1. Novel Functional Materials and Devices Laboratory, Research Institute for Natural Science, Department of Physics, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)
2. Division of Nano-Scale Semiconductor Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)
3. Nano Quantum Electronics Lab, Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

We report that a TaO{sub x} underlayer enhances the stability of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in TaO{sub x}/Ta/CoFeB/MgO stacks during annealing; control of oxygen content in the TaO{sub x} layer is critical. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy observations revealed clear suppression of Ta atom diffusion towards the CoFeB/MgO interface or MgO regions. The TaO{sub x} underlayer possibly served as a diffusion sponge, permitting some thermally activated Ta atoms to impregnate the TaO{sub x} underlayer via a diffusion path, such as grain boundaries. We propose a possible mechanism for enhanced PMA stability based on diffusion of thermally activated Ta atoms.

• OSTI ID: 22306000
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 116, Issue 11; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANISOTROPY
ANNEALING
BORON COMPOUNDS
COBALT COMPOUNDS
DIFFUSION
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
INTERFACES
IRON COMPOUNDS
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
STABILITY
TANTALUM
TANTALUM OXIDES
TERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
TUNGSTEN
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY