Tunnel magnetoresistance and spin torque switching in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni multilayer electrode

Takahiro Moriyama; Theodore J. Gudmundsen; Pinshane Y. Huang; Luqiao Liu; David A. Muller; Daniel C. Ralph; Robert A. Buhrman

doi:10.1063/1.3481798

Tunnel magnetoresistance and spin torque switching in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni multilayer electrode

Takahiro Moriyama, Theodore J. Gudmundsen, Pinshane Y. Huang, Luqiao Liu, David A. Muller, Daniel C. Ralph, Robert A. Buhrman

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

Abstract

We have fabricated MgO-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni switching layer to reduce the demagnetizing field via interface anisotropy. With a fcc-(111) oriented Co/Ni multilayer combined with an FeCoB insertion layer, the demagnetizing field is 2 kOe and the tunnel magnetoresistance can be as high as 106%. Room-temperature measurements of spin-torque switching are in good agreement with predictions for a reduced critical current associated with the small demagnetization for antiparallel-to-parallel switching. For parallel-to-antiparallel switching the small demagnetization field causes spatially nonuniform reversal nucleated at the sample ends, with a low energy barrier but a higher switching current.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	072513
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	97
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3481798
State	Published - Aug 16 2010
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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10.1063/1.3481798

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title = "Tunnel magnetoresistance and spin torque switching in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni multilayer electrode",

abstract = "We have fabricated MgO-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni switching layer to reduce the demagnetizing field via interface anisotropy. With a fcc-(111) oriented Co/Ni multilayer combined with an FeCoB insertion layer, the demagnetizing field is 2 kOe and the tunnel magnetoresistance can be as high as 106%. Room-temperature measurements of spin-torque switching are in good agreement with predictions for a reduced critical current associated with the small demagnetization for antiparallel-to-parallel switching. For parallel-to-antiparallel switching the small demagnetization field causes spatially nonuniform reversal nucleated at the sample ends, with a low energy barrier but a higher switching current.",

author = "Takahiro Moriyama and Gudmundsen, {Theodore J.} and Huang, {Pinshane Y.} and Luqiao Liu and Muller, {David A.} and Ralph, {Daniel C.} and Buhrman, {Robert A.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank John Read (NIST) for performing FMR on our film stacks. This work was supported by NSF/NSEC through the Cornell Center for Nanoscale Systems, NSF/IGERT, ONR, and ARO (Grant Nos. DGE-0654193, N00014-06-1-0428, and W911NF-08-2-0032). We also acknowledge NSF support through use of the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility/NNIN and the Cornell Center for Materials Research facilities.",

year = "2010",

month = aug,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1063/1.3481798",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "97",

journal = "Applied Physics Letters",

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T1 - Tunnel magnetoresistance and spin torque switching in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni multilayer electrode

AU - Moriyama, Takahiro

AU - Gudmundsen, Theodore J.

AU - Huang, Pinshane Y.

AU - Liu, Luqiao

AU - Muller, David A.

AU - Ralph, Daniel C.

AU - Buhrman, Robert A.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank John Read (NIST) for performing FMR on our film stacks. This work was supported by NSF/NSEC through the Cornell Center for Nanoscale Systems, NSF/IGERT, ONR, and ARO (Grant Nos. DGE-0654193, N00014-06-1-0428, and W911NF-08-2-0032). We also acknowledge NSF support through use of the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility/NNIN and the Cornell Center for Materials Research facilities.

PY - 2010/8/16

Y1 - 2010/8/16

N2 - We have fabricated MgO-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni switching layer to reduce the demagnetizing field via interface anisotropy. With a fcc-(111) oriented Co/Ni multilayer combined with an FeCoB insertion layer, the demagnetizing field is 2 kOe and the tunnel magnetoresistance can be as high as 106%. Room-temperature measurements of spin-torque switching are in good agreement with predictions for a reduced critical current associated with the small demagnetization for antiparallel-to-parallel switching. For parallel-to-antiparallel switching the small demagnetization field causes spatially nonuniform reversal nucleated at the sample ends, with a low energy barrier but a higher switching current.

AB - We have fabricated MgO-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni switching layer to reduce the demagnetizing field via interface anisotropy. With a fcc-(111) oriented Co/Ni multilayer combined with an FeCoB insertion layer, the demagnetizing field is 2 kOe and the tunnel magnetoresistance can be as high as 106%. Room-temperature measurements of spin-torque switching are in good agreement with predictions for a reduced critical current associated with the small demagnetization for antiparallel-to-parallel switching. For parallel-to-antiparallel switching the small demagnetization field causes spatially nonuniform reversal nucleated at the sample ends, with a low energy barrier but a higher switching current.

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Tunnel magnetoresistance and spin torque switching in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co/Ni multilayer electrode

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