S. Ikeda

A perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB–MgO magnetic tunnel junction

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with ferromagnetic electrodes possessing a perpendicular magnetic easy axis are of great interest as they have a potential for realizing next-generation high-density non-volatile memory and logic chips with high thermal stability and low critical current for current-induced magnetization switching. To attain perpendicular anisotropy, a number of material systems have been explored as electrodes, which include rare-earth/transition-metal alloys, L1(0)-ordered (Co, Fe)-Pt alloys and Co/(Pd, Pt) multilayers. However, none of them so far satisfy high thermal stability at reduced dimension, low-current current-induced magnetization switching and high tunnel magnetoresistance ratio all at the same time. Here, we use interfacial perpendicular anisotropy between the ferromagnetic electrodes and the tunnel barrier of the MTJ by employing the material combination of CoFeB-MgO, a system widely adopted to produce a giant tunnel magnetoresistance ratio in MTJs with in-plane anisotropy. This approach requires no material other than those used in conventional in-plane-anisotropy MTJs. The perpendicular MTJs consisting of Ta/CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB/Ta show a high tunnel magnetoresistance ratio, over 120%, high thermal stability at dimension as low as 40 nm diameter and a low switching current of 49 microA.

Electric-field effects on thickness dependent magnetic anisotropy of sputtered MgO/Co40Fe40B20/Ta structures

We have investigated the effect of applied electric field EG on thickness dependent magnetic anisotropy of sputtered Co40Fe40B20 sandwiched with MgO and Ta. The range of CoFeB thickness explored is 2 nm and below. As the thickness is reduced, the easy axis of magnetization becomes perpendicular from in-plane. We show that perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of in-plane samples and coercivity of perpendicular samples can be modified by applying EG at room temperature. Furthermore, superparamagnetic behavior is observed for CoFeB layers with further reduced thickness below ≈0.9 nm, where electric-field effect is also observed below their blocking temperature.

Electric field-induced magnetization reversal in a perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junction

The electric field-induced ∼180° magnetization reversal is realized for a sputtered CoFeB/MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular magnetic easy axis in a static external magnetic field. Application of bias voltage with nanoseconds duration results in a temporal change of magnetic easy axis in the free layer CoFeB to in-plane, which induces precessional motion of magnetization in the free layer. The magnetization reversal takes place when the bias voltage pulse duration is adjusted to a half period of the precession. We show that the back and forth magnetization reversal can be observed by using successive application of half-period voltage pulses.

2Mb Spin-Transfer Torque RAM (SPRAM) with Bit-by-Bit Bidirectional Current Write and Parallelizing-Direction Current Read

A 1.8V 2Mb spin-transfer torque RAM chip using a 0.2mum logic process with an MgO tunneling barrier cell demonstrates the circuit technologies for potential low-power non-volatile RAM, or universal memory. This chip features an array scheme with bit-by-bit bidirectional current write to achieve proper spin-transfer torque writing in 100ns, and parallelizing-direction current reading with a low-voltage bit-line that leads to 40ns access time.

Perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junctions with a MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO recording structure

We investigated perpendicular CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a recording structure consisting of two CoFeB-MgO interfaces, MgO/CoFeB (1.6 nm)/Ta (0.4 nm)/CoFeB (1.0 nm)/MgO. Thermal stability factor of MTJ with the structure having junction size of 70 nmφ was increased by a factor of 1.9 from the highest value of perpendicular MTJs with single CoFeB-MgO interface having the same device structure. On the other hand, intrinsic critical current for spin transfer torque switching of the double- and single-interface MTJs was comparable.

Junction size effect on switching current and thermal stability in CoFeB/MgO perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

Junction size dependence of critical current (IC0) for spin transfer torque switching and thermal stability factor (E/kBT) was examined in CoFeB/MgO perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs). The IC0 increased with increasing recording layer area (Srec). On the other hand, the E/kBT showed almost constant values even though the Srec was increased from ∼1500 nm2 (44 nmφ) to ∼5000 nm2 (76 nmφ). Both IC0 and E/kBT behavior can be explained with assuming that the nucleation type magnetization reversal takes place in CoFeB/MgO p-MTJs.

Current-induced domain wall motion in perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB nanowire

Current-induced domain wall motion in perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB nanowires with a stack structure of Ta(1.0 nm)/CoFeB(1.2 nm)/MgO(2.0 nm)/Ta(1.0 nm) was investigated. Domain wall motion driven by adiabatic spin-transfer torque was observed at a current of about 74 μA, corresponding to a current density of 6.2×107 A/cm2. The obtained results were compared with those of a micromagnetic simulation and the spin polarization of the CoFeB was estimated to be 0.72.

Dependence of magnetic anisotropy on MgO thickness and buffer layer in Co20Fe60B20-MgO structure

We investigated the dependence of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in CoFeB-MgO on the MgO layer thickness. Magnetization curves show that a clear perpendicular magnetic easy axis is obtainable in a 1.5-nm thick CoFeB layer by depositing MgO of more than three monolayers. We investigated anisotropy in CoFeB-MgO deposited on four different buffer layers. Results show that a counter interface of CoFeB-nonmagnetic metal affects the perpendicular anisotropy of CoFeB/MgO.

Current-induced effective field in perpendicularly magnetized Ta/CoFeB/MgO wire

The current-induced effective field in perpendicularly magnetized Ta/CoFeB/MgO wire was investigated. A threshold field decrease of 6.4 kOe/mA was observed by measuring the threshold field of Hall resistance versus the magnetic field curve with various bias currents. The decrease was probably caused by the in-plane effective field, mainly due to the Rashba effect. The effective field of the Ta/CoFeB/MgO wire was smaller and opposite in direction compared to that of Pt/Co/AlOx previously reported.

Transmission electron microscopy investigation of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB pseudospin valves annealed at different temperatures

We have investigated the microstructure and local chemistry of Ta/Ru/Ta/CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB/Ta/Ru magnetic tunnel junctions with different values of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) as a result of annealing at different temperatures. Annealing at 500 °C led to the templated crystallization of the amorphous CoFeB layer having coherent interfaces with MgO grains with an orientation relationship of ⟨001⟩[011]MgO∥⟨001⟩[001]CoFe, and the B rejected from crystallized CoFeB was found to be dissolved in upper amorphous Ta layers and segregated in the bottom crystalline Ta layer. Annealing at 600 °C led to the dissolution of 3–4 at. % Ta in the MgO barrier, and B was found to be segregated at the CoFeB/MgO and Ta/Ru interfaces as a result of the crystallization of the top amorphous Ta layer. Further degradation in TMR of the samples annealed at 650 °C results from the loss of bcc-CoFe (001) texture in the bottom CoFeB electrode due to the pronounced Ta diffusion into the CoFe/MgO/CoFe layers.