CoFeB Thickness Dependence of Thermal Stability Factor in CoFeB/MgO Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

Author

Sato, H. ; Yamanouchi, M. ; Miura, K. ; Ikeda, S. ; Koizumi, R. ; Matsukura, F. ; Ohno, H.

Author_Institution

Center for Spintronics Integrated Syst., Tohoku Univ., Sendai, Japan

Volume

3

fYear

2012

fDate

7/4/1905 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

3000204

Lastpage

3000204

Abstract

Thermal stability factor Δ of the recording layer was studied in perpendicular anisotropy CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs) with various CoFeB recording layer thicknesses and junction sizes. In all series of p-MTJs with different thicknesses, Δ is virtually independent of the junction sizes of 48-81 nm in diameter. The values of Δ increase linearly as the recording layer thickness increases. The slope of the linear fit is explained well by a model based on nucleation-type magnetization reversal.

Keywords

cobalt compounds; iron compounds; magnesium compounds; magnetic tunnelling; magnetisation reversal; perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; CoFeB recording layer thickness; CoFeB-MgO; junction sizes; nucleation-type magnetization reversal; perpendicular anisotropy; perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions; thermal stability factor; thickness dependence; Junctions; Magnetic recording; Magnetic tunneling; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Switches; Thermal stability; Spin electronics; magnetic random access memory; magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1949-307X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LMAG.2012.2190722

Filename

6189858