Nitridation process of Al layer by microwave-excited plasma and large magnetoresistance in Co-Fe/Al-N/Co-Fe tunnel junctions -As a comparison with oxidization process

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

Volumn 40, Issue 4 II, 2004, Pages 2290-2292

  Yoshimura, Satoru ^a,b   Shoyama, Toshihiro ^b   Nozawa, Toshiharu ^b   Tsunoda, Masakiyo ^b   Takahashi, Migaku ^b  

^a JAPAN SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF SCIENCE   (Japan)

^b TOHOKU UNIVERSITY   (Japan)

Author keywords

Al N barrier; Low reactivity; Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ); Microwave excited plasma; Nitridation and oxidization processes

Indexed keywords

ALUMINUM; COBALT ALLOYS; ELECTRODES; FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS; MAGNETORESISTANCE; NITRIDING; OXIDATION; PLASMAS; RANDOM ACCESS STORAGE; ULTRATHIN FILMS;

AL-N BARRIER; LOW-REACTIVITY; MAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTIONS (MTJ); MICROWAVE-EXCITED PLASMAS; NITRIDATION AND OXIDIZATION PROCESSES;

TUNNEL JUNCTIONS;

EID: 4444350474     PISSN: 00189464     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1109/TMAG.2004.829824     Document Type: Article

References (12)

1. 3/Fe junction," J. Magn. Magn. Mater., vol. 139, pp. L231-L234, 1995.
2. J. S. Moodera, L. R. Kinder, T. M. Wong, and R. Meservey, "Large magnetoresistance at room temperature in ferromagnetic thin film tunnel junctions," Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 74, pp. 3273-3276, 1995.
3. K. Inomata, "Outlook for spin electronics" (in Japanese), J. Magn. Soc. Jan., vol. 23, pp. 1826-1833, 1999.
4. S. Tehrani, J. M. Slaughter, M. Deherrera, B. N. Engel, N. D. Rizzo, J. Salter, M. Durlam, R. W. Dave, J. Janesky, B. Butcher, K. Smith, and G. Grynkewich, "Magnetoresistive random access memory using magnetic tunnel junctions," Proc. IEEE, vol. 91, pp. 703-714, May 2003.
5. W. D. Kingery, H. K. Bowen, and D. R. Uhlman, Introduction to Ceramics, 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1976, p. 787.
6. J. Wang, S. Cardoso, P. P. Freitas, P. Wei, N. P. Barradas, and J. C. Soares, "Tunnel junctions with AlN barrier and FeTaN electrodes," J. Appl. Phys., vol. 89, pp. 6868-6870, 2001.
7. M. Tsunoda, K. Nishikawa, S. Ogata, and M. Takahashi, "60% magnetoresistance at room temperature in Co-Fe/Al-O/Co-Fe tunnel junctions oxidized with Kr-O2 plasma," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 80, pp. 3135-3137, 2002.
8. S. Yoshimura, M. Tsunoda, S. Ogata, and M. Takahashi, "Correlation between oxidation process of Al film for magnetic tunnel junctions and oxidizing species in the microwave-excited plasma" (in Japanese), J. Magn. Soc. Jpn., vol. 27, pp. 1130-1134, 2003.
9. K. Nishikawa, M. Tsunoda, S. Ogata, and M. Takahashi, "New plasma source with low electron temperature for fabrication of an insulating barrier in ferromagnetic tunnel junctions," IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 38, pp. 2718-2720, Sept. 2002.
10. T. Miyazaki, "Review of development of spin tunnel junctions and future problems" (in Japanese), J. Magn. Soc. Jpn., vol. 25, pp. 471-477, 2001.
11. S. Iura, H. Kubota, Y. Ando, and T. Miyazaki, "Thermal stability of tunnel junctions with additional oxidation at the surface of the bottom electrode" (in Japanese), J. Magn. Soc. Jpn., vol. 27, pp. 303-306, 2003.
12. Z. Zhang, S. Cardoso, P. P. Freitas, X. Batlle, P. Wei, N. Barradas, and J. C. Soares, "40% tunneling magnetoresistance after anneal at 380°C for tunnel junctions with iron-oxide interface layers," J. Appl. Phys., vol. 89, pp. 6665-6667, 2001.