Thermal and electrical stability behavior of a magnetic tunnel junction with a new Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier

Chul Min Choi; Seong Rae Lee

doi:10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216

Thermal and electrical stability behavior of a magnetic tunnel junction with a new Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier

Chul Min Choi, Seong Rae Lee

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

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

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The thermal and electrical stability of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with a Zr-alloyed Al-oxide (ZrAl-oxide) tunnel barrier were investigated. A significant tunneling magnetic resistance (TMR) value of 10% was maintained in the MTJ with a ZrAl-oxide barrier (9.89 at.% Zr) annealed at 450°C. The break-down voltage of 1.75 V was highest for the MTJ with a 9.89 at.% Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier. The quality of the barrier material microstructure in the pre-oxidation state had a dominant effect on the thermal and electrical stability of the MTJ. In addition, plasma oxidation of an ultra-thin 0.6-nm-thiek ZrAl barrier led to an MTJ with 8% TMR and a junction resistance × area (RA) of 0.72 MΩμm².

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2281-2283
Number of pages	3
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
Volume	40
Issue number	4 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216
Publication status	Published - 2004 Jul

Keywords

Amorphous Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier
Magnetic tunnel junction
Thermal and electrical stability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216

Cite this

@article{af99646f7e70474fa05aa59cdee6d4d1,

title = "Thermal and electrical stability behavior of a magnetic tunnel junction with a new Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier",

abstract = "The thermal and electrical stability of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with a Zr-alloyed Al-oxide (ZrAl-oxide) tunnel barrier were investigated. A significant tunneling magnetic resistance (TMR) value of 10% was maintained in the MTJ with a ZrAl-oxide barrier (9.89 at.% Zr) annealed at 450°C. The break-down voltage of 1.75 V was highest for the MTJ with a 9.89 at.% Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier. The quality of the barrier material microstructure in the pre-oxidation state had a dominant effect on the thermal and electrical stability of the MTJ. In addition, plasma oxidation of an ultra-thin 0.6-nm-thiek ZrAl barrier led to an MTJ with 8% TMR and a junction resistance × area (RA) of 0.72 MΩμm2.",

keywords = "Amorphous Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier, Magnetic tunnel junction, Thermal and electrical stability",

author = "Choi, {Chul Min} and Lee, {Seong Rae}",

note = "Funding Information: Manuscript received October 15, 2003. This work was supported by the Korea Ministry of Science and Technology under the National Research Laboratory Program. The authors are with the Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea (e-mail: kumetsrl@korea.ac.kr). Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216",

year = "2004",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216",

language = "English",

volume = "40",

pages = "2281--2283",

journal = "IEEE Transactions on Magnetics",

issn = "0018-9464",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

number = "4 II",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermal and electrical stability behavior of a magnetic tunnel junction with a new Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier

AU - Choi, Chul Min

AU - Lee, Seong Rae

N1 - Funding Information: Manuscript received October 15, 2003. This work was supported by the Korea Ministry of Science and Technology under the National Research Laboratory Program. The authors are with the Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea (e-mail: kumetsrl@korea.ac.kr). Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216

PY - 2004/7

Y1 - 2004/7

N2 - The thermal and electrical stability of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with a Zr-alloyed Al-oxide (ZrAl-oxide) tunnel barrier were investigated. A significant tunneling magnetic resistance (TMR) value of 10% was maintained in the MTJ with a ZrAl-oxide barrier (9.89 at.% Zr) annealed at 450°C. The break-down voltage of 1.75 V was highest for the MTJ with a 9.89 at.% Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier. The quality of the barrier material microstructure in the pre-oxidation state had a dominant effect on the thermal and electrical stability of the MTJ. In addition, plasma oxidation of an ultra-thin 0.6-nm-thiek ZrAl barrier led to an MTJ with 8% TMR and a junction resistance × area (RA) of 0.72 MΩμm2.

AB - The thermal and electrical stability of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with a Zr-alloyed Al-oxide (ZrAl-oxide) tunnel barrier were investigated. A significant tunneling magnetic resistance (TMR) value of 10% was maintained in the MTJ with a ZrAl-oxide barrier (9.89 at.% Zr) annealed at 450°C. The break-down voltage of 1.75 V was highest for the MTJ with a 9.89 at.% Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier. The quality of the barrier material microstructure in the pre-oxidation state had a dominant effect on the thermal and electrical stability of the MTJ. In addition, plasma oxidation of an ultra-thin 0.6-nm-thiek ZrAl barrier led to an MTJ with 8% TMR and a junction resistance × area (RA) of 0.72 MΩμm2.

KW - Amorphous Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier

KW - Magnetic tunnel junction

KW - Thermal and electrical stability

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4444329557&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216

DO - 10.1109/TMAG.2004.830216

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:4444329557

SN - 0018-9464

VL - 40

SP - 2281

EP - 2283

JO - IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

JF - IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

IS - 4 II

ER -

Thermal and electrical stability behavior of a magnetic tunnel junction with a new Zr-alloyed Al-oxide barrier

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this