Effect of Mo capping layers thickness on the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in MgO/CoFeB based top magnetic tunnel junction structure

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/25/11/117805

Abstract A detailed study of the magnetic characterizations of the top structure MgO/CoFeB/Mo is presented. The samples show strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) when the thickness of CoFeB is 0.9 nm and 1.1 nm. The saturation magnetic moment and interface anisotropy constant are 1566 emu/cm³ and 3.75 erg/cm², respectively. The magnetic dead layer (MDL) is about 0.23 nm in this system. Furthermore, strong capping layer thickness dependence is also observed. The strong PMA of 1.1 nm CoFeB only exists in a Mo cap layer thickness window of 1.2-2 nm. To maintain PMA, the metal layer could not be too thin or thick in these multilayers. The oxidation and diffusion of the metal capping layer should be respectively responsibility for the degradation of PMA in these thin or thick metal capping layer samples.

Keywords: perpendicular magnetic anisotropy capping layer effective magnetic anisotropy magnetic tunnel junction

Received: 04 July 2016
Revised: 10 August 2016
Accepted manuscript online:

PACS:	78.67.Pt	(Multilayers; superlattices; photonic structures; metamaterials)
	75.70.Cn	(Magnetic properties of interfaces (multilayers, superlattices, heterostructures))
	75.70.Rf	(Surface magnetism)
	75.60.Nt	(Magnetic annealing and temperature-hysteresis effects)

Fund: Project supported by the National Fundamental Research Program of China (Grant No. 2011CB921804) and Beijing Key Subject Foundation of Condensed Matter Physics, China (Grant No. 0114023).

Corresponding Authors: Zheng-Yong Zhu
E-mail: zhuzhengyong@ime.ac.cn

Cite this article:

Yi Liu(刘毅), Kai-Gui Zhu(朱开贵), Hui-Cai Zhong(钟汇才), Zheng-Yong Zhu(朱正勇), Tao Yu(于涛), Su-De Ma(马苏德) Effect of Mo capping layers thickness on the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in MgO/CoFeB based top magnetic tunnel junction structure 2016 Chin. Phys. B 25 117805

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Effect of Mo capping layers thickness on the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in MgO/CoFeB based top magnetic tunnel junction structure

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