• 대한전자공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전자공학회 2004년도 하계종합학술대회 논문집(2)
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• pp.419-422
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• 2004

A sensing scheme for current-mode magneto-resistance random access memory (MRAM) with a 1T1MTJ cell structure is proposed. Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) resistance, which is HIGH or LOW, is converted to different cell currents during READ operation. The cell current is then amplified to be evaluated by the reference cell current. In this scheme, conventional bit line sense amplifiers are not required and the operation is less sensitive to voltage noise than that of voltage-mode circuit is. It has been confirmed with HSPICE simulations using a 0.35-${\mu}m$ 2-poly 4-metal CMOS technology.

• 공학논문집
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.33-38
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• 2004

To investigate the reliability of the MTJs on the roughness of insulating tunnel barrier, we prepared two MTJs with the different uniformity of barrier thickness. Namely, the one has uniform insulating barrier thickness; the other has non-uniform insulating barrier thickness as compared to different thing. As to depositing amorphous layer CoZrNb under the pinning layer IrMn, we achieved MTJ with uniform barrier thickness. Toinvestigate the reliability of the MTJs dependent on the bottom electrode, time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) measurements were carried out under constant voltage stress. The Weibull fit of out data shows clearly that $t_{BD}$ scales with the thickness uniformity of MTJs tunnel barrier. Assuming a linear dependence of log($t_{BD}$) on stress voltages, we obtained the lifetime of $10^4$years at a operating voltage of 0.4 V at MTJs comprising CoNbZr layers. This study shows that the reliabilityof new MTJs structure was improved due to the ultra smooth barrier, because the surface roughness of the bottom electrode influenced the uniformity of tunnel barrier.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.52-59
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• 2004

As deposited and annealed MTJs with the structure of $Ta(5 nm)/Cu(10 nm)/Ta(5 nm)/Ni_{80}Fe_{20}(2 nm)/Cu(5 nm)/ Ir_{25}Mn_{75}(10 nm)/Co_{70}Fe_{30}(2.5 nm)/Al-O/Co_{70}Fe_{30}(2.5nm)/Ni_{80}Fe_{20}(t)/Ta(5nm)/Ni_{80}Fe_{20}(t)/Ta(5 nm)$, where t=10, 30, 60 and 100 nm were characterized by XRD and magnetic hysteresis loops measurements. The XRD measurements were done in grazing incidence $(GID scan-2{\theta})$ and ${\theta}-2{\theta}$ geometry, by rocking curve $(scan-{\omega})$ and pole figures in order to establish correlation between texture and crystallites size and magnetic parameters of exchange biased and interlayer coupling. The variations of shifting and coercivity field of free and pinned layers after annealing in $300^{\circ}C$ correlate with the improvement of ［111］ texture and grains size of $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$ and $Ir_{25}Mn_{75}$ respectively. The exchange biased and the coercivity fields of the pinned layer linearly increased with increasing grain size of $Ir_{25}Mn_{75}$, The reciprocal proportionality between interlayer coupling and coercivity fields of the free layer and grain size of $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$ was found. The enhancement of interlayer coupling between pinned and free layers, after annealing treatment, indicates on the correlated in-phase roughness of dipolar interacting interfaces due to increase of crystallites size of $Ni_{80}Fe_{20}$.

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.129-133
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• 2010

초연자성을 띠는 코네틱(Conetic; NiFeCuMo) 박막을 상호 중간층으로 강자성체인 CoFe 또는 NiFe 박막 사이에 삽입한 코닝 유리(Corning glass)/Ta(5 nm)/[CoFe or NiFe(5 nm-t/2)]/NiFeCuMo(t = 0, 4, 6, 8, 10 nm)/[CoFe or NiFe(5 nm-t/2)]/Ta(5 nm) 3층 박막구조에 대한 자기적 특성을 조사하였다. CoFe와 NiFe 박막의 자기적 특성은 박막의 두께에 따라 크게 결정되므로 자화 곤란축과 자화 용이축으로 측정된 이방성 자기저항 곡선으로부터 얻은 보자력과 자화율을 각각 비교하였다. 특히 3층 박막구조에서 NiFe 박막 사이에 자유층으로 NiFeCuMo 박막을 삽입하면 높은 자기저항비를 유지하면서 향상된 자장감응도를 유지하는 고감도 바이오센서용 거대자기저항-스핀밸브(giant magnetoresistive-spin valves; GMR-SV) 및 자기터널접합(magnetic tunnel junction; MTJ) 소자로 활용할 수 있다.

• 한국자기학회지
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.276-278
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• 2006

스위칭 특성을 향상시키기 위하여 비정질 강자성 CoFeSiB 자유층을 갖는 자기터널접합 (MTJ)의 스위칭 특성을 연구하였다. 자기터널접합의 구조는 $Si/SiO_{2}/Ta$ 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe 10/CoFe $7/AlO_{x}/CoFeSiB\;(t)/Ru\;60\;(nm)$이다. CoFeSiB는 $560\;emu/cm^{3}$의 낮은 포화자화도와 $2800\;erg/cm^{3}$의 높은 이방성 상수를 가졌다. 이러한 특성이 자기터널접합의 낮은 보자력($H_{c}$)과 높은 자장민감도를 갖게 한다. 이것은 또한 Landau-Lisfschitz-Gilbert 방정식에 근거한 미세자기 전산시뮬레이션을 통하여 submicrometersized elements에서도 확인하였다. CoFeSiB 자유층 두께를 증가함으로서 스위칭 특성은 반자화 자기장의 증가로 인하여 더욱더 나빠졌다.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.17-22
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• 2004

We studied the magnetotransport properties of tunnel junctions with AlO and AlN barriers fabricated using microwave-excited plasma. The plasma nitridation process provided wider controllability than the plasma oxidization for the formation of MTJs with ultra-thin insulating layer, because of the slow nitriding rate of metal Al layers, comparing with the oxidizing rate of them. High tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios of 49 and 44% with respective resistance-area product $(R{\times}A) of 3 {\times} 10^4 and 6 {\times} 10^3 {\Omega}{\mu}m^2$ were obtained in the Co-Fe/Al-N/Co-Fe MTJs. We conclude that AlN is a hopeful barrier material to realize MTJs with high TMR ratio and low $R{\times}A$ for high performance MRAM cells. In addition, in order to clarify the annealing temperature dependence of TMR, the local transport properties were measured for Ta $50{\AA} /Cu 200 {\AA}/Ta 50 {\AA}/Ni_{76}Fe_{24} 20 {\AA}/Cu 50 {\AA}/Mn_{75}Ir_{25} 100 {\AA}/Co_{71}Fe_{29} 40 {\AA}/Al-O$ junction with $d_{Al}= 8 {\AA} and P_{O2}{\times}t_{0X}/ = 8.4 {\times} 10^4$ at various temperatures. The current histogram statistically calculated from the electrical current image was well in accord with the fitting result considering the Gaussian distribution and Fowler-Nordheim equation. After annealing at $340^{\circ}C$, where the TMR ratio of the corresponding MTJ had the maximum value of 44%, the average barrier height increased to 1.12 eV and its standard deviation decreased to 0.1 eV. The increase of TMR ratio after annealing could be well explained by the enhancement of the average barrier height and the reduction of its fluctuation.