Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction and its application in magnetic random access memory

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/23/7/077501

Abstract Recent progresses in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) are reviewed and summarized. At first, the concept and source of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) are introduced. Next, a historical overview of PMA materials as magnetic electrodes, such as the RE-TM alloys TbFeCo and GdFeCo, novel tetragonal manganese alloys Mn-Ga, L1₀-ordered (Co, Fe)/Pt alloy, multilayer film [Co, Fe, CoFe/Pt, Pd, Ni, Au]N, and ultra-thin magnetic metal/oxidized barrier is offered. The other part of the article focuses on the optimization and fabrication of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB p-MTJs, which is thought to have high potential to meet the main demands for non-volatile magnetic random access memory.

Keywords: magnetic random access memory perpendicular magnetic anisotropy spin transfer torque effect magnetic tunnel junction

Received: 23 April 2014
Revised: 13 June 2014
Accepted manuscript online:

PACS:	75.30.Gw	(Magnetic anisotropy)
	75.50.Ss	(Magnetic recording materials)
	75.76.+j	(Spin transport effects)
	85.75.Dd	(Magnetic memory using magnetic tunnel junctions)

Fund: Project supported by the State Key Project of Fundamental Research of Ministry of Science and Technology, China (Grant No. 2010CB934400) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51229101 and 11374351).

Corresponding Authors: Han Xiu-Feng
E-mail: xfhan@iphy.ac.cn

About author: 75.30.Gw; 75.50.Ss; 75.76.+j; 85.75.Dd

Cite this article:

Liu Hou-Fang (刘厚方), Syed Shahbaz Ali, Han Xiu-Feng (韩秀峰) Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction and its application in magnetic random access memory 2014 Chin. Phys. B 23 077501

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