Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy of Small Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Interface Anisotropy

Stephan K. Piotrowski; Mukund Bapna; Hamid Almasi; Wei Gang Wang; Larysa Tryputen; Caroline A. Ross; Mingen Li; Chia Ling Chien; Sara A. Majetich

doi:10.1109/TMAG.2015.2434798

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy of Small Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Interface Anisotropy

Stephan K. Piotrowski, Mukund Bapna, Hamid Almasi, Wei Gang Wang, Larysa Tryputen, Caroline A. Ross, Mingen Li, Chia Ling Chien, Sara A. Majetich

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Magnetization reversal in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was studied as a function of both diameter (from 87 to 500 nm) and voltage (from-900 to 900 mV) using a conducting atomic force microscope. We found that the tunneling magnetoresistance near zero voltage was \sim 100% for all device sizes. The coercivity of the top CoFeB layer was identical within experimental error for the sizes between 158 and 500 nm but was smaller for 87 nm devices. This suggests a transition from domain-wall-nucleation-driven magnetization reversal to coherent rotation between 87 and 158 nm.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	7109902
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
Volume	51
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.2015.2434798
State	Published - Nov 1 2015

Keywords

Conductive AFM
magnetic tunnel junction
perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
voltage controlled anisotropy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1109/TMAG.2015.2434798

Cite this

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title = "Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy of Small Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Interface Anisotropy",

abstract = "Magnetization reversal in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was studied as a function of both diameter (from 87 to 500 nm) and voltage (from-900 to 900 mV) using a conducting atomic force microscope. We found that the tunneling magnetoresistance near zero voltage was \sim 100% for all device sizes. The coercivity of the top CoFeB layer was identical within experimental error for the sizes between 158 and 500 nm but was smaller for 87 nm devices. This suggests a transition from domain-wall-nucleation-driven magnetization reversal to coherent rotation between 87 and 158 nm.",

keywords = "Conductive AFM, magnetic tunnel junction, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, voltage controlled anisotropy",

author = "Piotrowski, {Stephan K.} and Mukund Bapna and Hamid Almasi and Wang, {Wei Gang} and Larysa Tryputen and Ross, {Caroline A.} and Mingen Li and Chien, {Chia Ling} and Majetich, {Sara A.}",

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year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1109/TMAG.2015.2434798",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "51",

journal = "IEEE Transactions on Magnetics",

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T1 - Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy of Small Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Interface Anisotropy

AU - Piotrowski, Stephan K.

AU - Bapna, Mukund

AU - Almasi, Hamid

AU - Wang, Wei Gang

AU - Tryputen, Larysa

AU - Ross, Caroline A.

AU - Li, Mingen

AU - Chien, Chia Ling

AU - Majetich, Sara A.

PY - 2015/11/1

Y1 - 2015/11/1

N2 - Magnetization reversal in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was studied as a function of both diameter (from 87 to 500 nm) and voltage (from-900 to 900 mV) using a conducting atomic force microscope. We found that the tunneling magnetoresistance near zero voltage was \sim 100% for all device sizes. The coercivity of the top CoFeB layer was identical within experimental error for the sizes between 158 and 500 nm but was smaller for 87 nm devices. This suggests a transition from domain-wall-nucleation-driven magnetization reversal to coherent rotation between 87 and 158 nm.

AB - Magnetization reversal in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was studied as a function of both diameter (from 87 to 500 nm) and voltage (from-900 to 900 mV) using a conducting atomic force microscope. We found that the tunneling magnetoresistance near zero voltage was \sim 100% for all device sizes. The coercivity of the top CoFeB layer was identical within experimental error for the sizes between 158 and 500 nm but was smaller for 87 nm devices. This suggests a transition from domain-wall-nucleation-driven magnetization reversal to coherent rotation between 87 and 158 nm.

KW - Conductive AFM

KW - magnetic tunnel junction

KW - perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

KW - voltage controlled anisotropy

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JO - IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

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Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy of Small Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Interface Anisotropy

Abstract

Keywords

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