Title :
Thin layer of MgO as seed layer used in MgO/Co2FeSi Heusler alloy tunnel junctions
Author :
Chen, P.J. ; Shull, R.
Author_Institution :
Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Abstract :
This study examines the efficacy of adding a thin seed layer of MgO underneath the Co2FeSi free layer below the MgO tunnel barrier to induce order in the cubic phase. The magnetic multilayers are grown via magnetron sputtering at room temperature with base pressure of 6.6×10-7 Pa and vacuum annealed at 360°C for an hour. A current in-plane testing apparatus is employed to determine tunnelling magnetoresistance values. Magnetic hysteresis loops data indicate that the samples have anisotropic magnetization with an easy in-plane direction and the coercivity is inversely proportional to the seed layer thickness.
Keywords :
annealing; cobalt alloys; coercive force; iron alloys; magnesium compounds; magnetic hysteresis; magnetic multilayers; silicon alloys; sputter deposition; tunnelling magnetoresistance; Heusler alloy; MgO-Co2FeSi; anisotropic magnetization; coercivity; current in-plane testing; magnetic hysteresis loops; magnetic multilayers; magnetic tunnel junctions; magnetron sputtering; pressure 0.00000066 Pa; seed layer; temperature 293 K to 298 K; temperature 360 degC; time 1 h; tunnelling magnetoresistance; vacuum annealing; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic field measurement; Magnetic tunneling; Magnetization; Magnetomechanical effects; Metals; Tunneling magnetoresistance;
Conference_Titel :
Magnetics Conference (INTERMAG), 2015 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Beijing
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4799-7321-7
DOI :
10.1109/INTMAG.2015.7156902
