• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.6 no.2
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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 the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.47-51
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• 2015

To achieve a high tunneling magneto resistance (TMR) of sputtered magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with an MgO barrier, the annealing process is indispensable. The structural and compositional changes as consequences of the annealing greatly affect the spin-dependent transport properties of MTJs. Higher TMR could be obtained for MTJs annealed at higher annealing temperature. The diffusion of Ru, Mn and/or Ta in the MTJs may occur during annealing process, which is known to be detrimental to spin-dependent tunneling effect. The rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process was used for annealing the MTJs with synthetic antiferromagnets. To suppress the diffusion of Mn, Ru and/or Ta in the MTJs, the process time and temperature of RTA were minutely controlled.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.13-16
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• 2004

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) comprising amorphous CoNbZr layers have been investigated. $Co_{85.5}Nb_8Zr_{6.5}$(in at. %) layers were employed to substitute the traditionally used Ta layers with an emphasis given on under-standing underlayer effect. The typical junction structure was $SiO_2/CoNbZr$ or Ta 2/CoFe 8/IrMn 7.5/CoFe 3/Al 1.6 + oxidation/CoFe 3/CoNbZr or Ta 2 (nm). For both as-deposited state and after annealing, the CoNbZr-underlayered structure showed superior surface smoothness up to the tunnel barrier than Ta-underlayerd one (rms roughness of 0.16 vs. 0.34 nm). CoNbZr-based MTJs was proven beneficial for increasing thermal stability and increasing $V_h$ (the bias voltage where MR ratio becomes half) characteristics than Ta-based MTJs. This is because the CoNbZr-based junctions offer smoother interface structure than the Ta-based one.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.57-57
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• 2014

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.126-128
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• 2001

The effect of rapid thermal anneal (RTA) has been investigated on the properties of an FeMn exchange-biased magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) using magnetoresistance and I-V measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in an as-grown MTJ is found to be ∼27%, while the TMR in MTJs annealed by RTA increases with annealing temperature up to 300$\^{C}$, reaching ∼46%. A TEM image reveals a structural change in the interface of A1$_2$O$_3$layer for the MTJ annealed by RTA at 300$\^{C}$. The oxide barrier parameters are found to vary abruptly with annealing time within a few ten seconds. Our results demonstrate that the present RTA enhances the magnetoresistive properties of MTJs.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.59-62
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• 2002

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) were fabricated with high bias for plasma oxidation and the effects of annealing on the temperature dependence of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) were investigated experimentally. As-grown, TMR increases, peaks around 160 K, and decreases with increasing temperature from 80 K to 300 K. When MTJs are annealed, $T_{max}$, the temperature at which maximum TMR is obtained, decreases as annealing temperature increases to the optimal point. In order to explain this abnormal temperature dependence of TMR, the difference of conductance between parallel and antiparallel alignments of magnetizations as a function of temperature is also analyzed. The shifts of $T_{max}$ due to annealing process are described phenomenologically with spin-dependent transfer rates of electrons tunnel through the barrier.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.118.2-118.2
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• 2007

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.104-105
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.108-109
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2004

We have investigated the effect of Hf insertion in the Al oxide tunnel barrier on the properties of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). MTJs with Hf inserted barrier show the higher tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio and less temperature and bias voltage dependence of TMR than MTJs with a conventional Al$_2$O$_3$ barrier. The enhancement of TMR ratio and the reduction of the temperature and bias voltage dependence might be due to the reduction of defects in the barrier. Al-Hf oxide was formed by depositing Al and Hf simultaneously, and oxidizing the compound films. The TMR ratio of 36% was almost the same value as that with Hf inserted barrier. This implies that the inserted Hf layers mixed with Al layers during deposition or oxidation, and they might form Al Hf oxide barriers. This compound Al Hf oxide formation may be responsible to reduction of defect concentration which enhanced the TMR ratio and reduced temperature and bias-voltage dependence.