Berlin 2008 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 23: Spinelectronics/ Spininjection in Heterostructures

MA 23.8: Talk

Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 18:30–18:45, H 1028

Role of interface short range order in of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions — •Gerrit Eilers¹, Marvin Walter¹, Kai Ubben¹, Michael Seibt¹, Talaat Al-Kassab², Volker Drewello³, Andy Thomas³, Günter Reiss³, and Markus Münzenberg¹ — ¹IV. Phys. Inst., Universität Göttingen — ²Institut für Materialphysik, Universität Göttingen — ³Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld

Magnetic tunnel junctions consisting of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB trilayers have been of great interest in research just recently. Due to their high magneto resistance they are a promising candidate for the fabrication of spin torque MRAM devices. For future writing concepts like current induced magnetic switching magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with thin barriers are necessary to provide sufficient high current densities. In such elements the TMR is strongly dependent on the electron transmission at the metal / oxide interfaces. Therefore the quality of the interfaces is of great significance and should be optimized on the nano-scale. With the objective to correlate electrical transport properties (I/V characteristics, TMR) with the geometrical and chemical interface roughness, the structural analysis was made by cross-sectional TEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT). The distribution of the layer elements, especially the Boron, through the layer stack is of particular interest and an up to now unsolved mystery.

Research was funded by SFB 602