Thermal stability of magnetic tunnel junctions with new amorphous ZrAl-alloy films as the under and capping layers

Chul Min Choi; Jin Oh Song; Seong Rae Lee

doi:10.1109/TMAG.2005.855291

Thermal stability of magnetic tunnel junctions with new amorphous ZrAl-alloy films as the under and capping layers

Chul Min Choi^*
, Jin Oh Song
, Seong Rae Lee

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We studied the thermal stability of new amorphous ZrAl-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a ZrAl-oxide barrier replacing the Ta layers traditionally used for the under and capping layers. The MTJs were compared with similar conventional MTJs (Ta-based MTJ with Al-oxide). After annealing at various temperatures up to 450°C, the ZrAl-based MTJs still had a significant tunnel magnetoresistance signal of nearly 21%. The thermal stability of amorphous ZrAl-based and conventional Ta-based MTJs differs dramatically, mainly because of the different microstructural evolution. The noncrystalline ZrAl-alloy film had superior surface uniformity and an induced microstructure that resisted interdiffusion, with dense, equiaxed grains making up the upper stacks' films. By contrast, the conventional Ta-based MTJ had a broad columnar structure with less dense boundaries, which act as a source of interdiffusion, resulting in barrier deformation at elevated temperatures.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2667-2669
Number of pages	3
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
Volume	41
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.2005.855291
Publication status	Published - 2005 Oct

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology under National Research Laboratory program, the Korea Research Foundation under Grant KRF-2004-005-C00068, and the Basic Research Program of the KOSEF under Grant R-01-2005-000-11188-0.

Keywords

Amorphous ZrAl alloy
Magnetic tunnel junction
Thermal stability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1109/TMAG.2005.855291

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title = "Thermal stability of magnetic tunnel junctions with new amorphous ZrAl-alloy films as the under and capping layers",

abstract = "We studied the thermal stability of new amorphous ZrAl-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a ZrAl-oxide barrier replacing the Ta layers traditionally used for the under and capping layers. The MTJs were compared with similar conventional MTJs (Ta-based MTJ with Al-oxide). After annealing at various temperatures up to 450°C, the ZrAl-based MTJs still had a significant tunnel magnetoresistance signal of nearly 21\%. The thermal stability of amorphous ZrAl-based and conventional Ta-based MTJs differs dramatically, mainly because of the different microstructural evolution. The noncrystalline ZrAl-alloy film had superior surface uniformity and an induced microstructure that resisted interdiffusion, with dense, equiaxed grains making up the upper stacks' films. By contrast, the conventional Ta-based MTJ had a broad columnar structure with less dense boundaries, which act as a source of interdiffusion, resulting in barrier deformation at elevated temperatures.",

keywords = "Amorphous ZrAl alloy, Magnetic tunnel junction, Thermal stability",

author = "Choi, \{Chul Min\} and Song, \{Jin Oh\} and Lee, \{Seong Rae\}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology under National Research Laboratory program, the Korea Research Foundation under Grant KRF-2004-005-C00068, and the Basic Research Program of the KOSEF under Grant R-01-2005-000-11188-0.",

year = "2005",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1109/TMAG.2005.855291",

language = "English",

volume = "41",

pages = "2667--2669",

journal = "IEEE Transactions on Magnetics",

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T1 - Thermal stability of magnetic tunnel junctions with new amorphous ZrAl-alloy films as the under and capping layers

AU - Choi, Chul Min

AU - Song, Jin Oh

AU - Lee, Seong Rae

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology under National Research Laboratory program, the Korea Research Foundation under Grant KRF-2004-005-C00068, and the Basic Research Program of the KOSEF under Grant R-01-2005-000-11188-0.

PY - 2005/10

Y1 - 2005/10

N2 - We studied the thermal stability of new amorphous ZrAl-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a ZrAl-oxide barrier replacing the Ta layers traditionally used for the under and capping layers. The MTJs were compared with similar conventional MTJs (Ta-based MTJ with Al-oxide). After annealing at various temperatures up to 450°C, the ZrAl-based MTJs still had a significant tunnel magnetoresistance signal of nearly 21%. The thermal stability of amorphous ZrAl-based and conventional Ta-based MTJs differs dramatically, mainly because of the different microstructural evolution. The noncrystalline ZrAl-alloy film had superior surface uniformity and an induced microstructure that resisted interdiffusion, with dense, equiaxed grains making up the upper stacks' films. By contrast, the conventional Ta-based MTJ had a broad columnar structure with less dense boundaries, which act as a source of interdiffusion, resulting in barrier deformation at elevated temperatures.

AB - We studied the thermal stability of new amorphous ZrAl-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a ZrAl-oxide barrier replacing the Ta layers traditionally used for the under and capping layers. The MTJs were compared with similar conventional MTJs (Ta-based MTJ with Al-oxide). After annealing at various temperatures up to 450°C, the ZrAl-based MTJs still had a significant tunnel magnetoresistance signal of nearly 21%. The thermal stability of amorphous ZrAl-based and conventional Ta-based MTJs differs dramatically, mainly because of the different microstructural evolution. The noncrystalline ZrAl-alloy film had superior surface uniformity and an induced microstructure that resisted interdiffusion, with dense, equiaxed grains making up the upper stacks' films. By contrast, the conventional Ta-based MTJ had a broad columnar structure with less dense boundaries, which act as a source of interdiffusion, resulting in barrier deformation at elevated temperatures.

KW - Amorphous ZrAl alloy

KW - Magnetic tunnel junction

KW - Thermal stability

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/27744527351

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DO - 10.1109/TMAG.2005.855291

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:27744527351

SN - 0018-9464

VL - 41

SP - 2667

EP - 2669

JO - IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

JF - IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

IS - 10

ER -

Thermal stability of magnetic tunnel junctions with new amorphous ZrAl-alloy films as the under and capping layers

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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