Electron holography of barrier structures in Co/ZrAlOx/Co magnetic tunnel junctions

Zhe Zhang; Tao Zhu; Feng Shen; Wen Ting Sheng; Wei Gang Wang; John Q. Xiao; Ze Zhang

doi:10.1088/0256-307X/22/7/047

Electron holography of barrier structures in Co/ZrAlO_x/Co magnetic tunnel junctions

Zhe Zhang, Tao Zhu, Feng Shen, Wen Ting Sheng, Wei Gang Wang, John Q. Xiao, Ze Zhang

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

Abstract

We investigate the potential profiles and elemental distribution of barriers in Co/ZrAlO_x/Co magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) using electron holography (EH) and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The MTJ barriers are introduced by oxidizing a bilayer consisting with a uniform 0.45-nm Al layer and a wedge-shaped Zr layer (0-2 nm). From the scanning transmission electron microscopy, AlO_x and ZrO_x layers are mixed together, indicating that compact AlO_x layer cannot be formed in such a bilayer structure of barriers. The EH results reveal that there are no sharp interfaces between the barrier and magnetic electrodes, which may be responsible for a smaller tunnelling magnetoresistance compared with the MTJs of Co/AlO_x/Co.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1732-1735
Number of pages	4
Journal	Chinese Physics Letters
Volume	22
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0256-307X/22/7/047
State	Published - Jul 1 2005
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1088/0256-307X/22/7/047

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title = "Electron holography of barrier structures in Co/ZrAlOx/Co magnetic tunnel junctions",

abstract = "We investigate the potential profiles and elemental distribution of barriers in Co/ZrAlOx/Co magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) using electron holography (EH) and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The MTJ barriers are introduced by oxidizing a bilayer consisting with a uniform 0.45-nm Al layer and a wedge-shaped Zr layer (0-2 nm). From the scanning transmission electron microscopy, AlOx and ZrOx layers are mixed together, indicating that compact AlOx layer cannot be formed in such a bilayer structure of barriers. The EH results reveal that there are no sharp interfaces between the barrier and magnetic electrodes, which may be responsible for a smaller tunnelling magnetoresistance compared with the MTJs of Co/AlOx/Co.",

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T1 - Electron holography of barrier structures in Co/ZrAlOx/Co magnetic tunnel junctions

AU - Zhang, Zhe

AU - Zhu, Tao

AU - Shen, Feng

AU - Sheng, Wen Ting

AU - Wang, Wei Gang

AU - Xiao, John Q.

AU - Zhang, Ze

PY - 2005/7/1

Y1 - 2005/7/1

N2 - We investigate the potential profiles and elemental distribution of barriers in Co/ZrAlOx/Co magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) using electron holography (EH) and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The MTJ barriers are introduced by oxidizing a bilayer consisting with a uniform 0.45-nm Al layer and a wedge-shaped Zr layer (0-2 nm). From the scanning transmission electron microscopy, AlOx and ZrOx layers are mixed together, indicating that compact AlOx layer cannot be formed in such a bilayer structure of barriers. The EH results reveal that there are no sharp interfaces between the barrier and magnetic electrodes, which may be responsible for a smaller tunnelling magnetoresistance compared with the MTJs of Co/AlOx/Co.

AB - We investigate the potential profiles and elemental distribution of barriers in Co/ZrAlOx/Co magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) using electron holography (EH) and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The MTJ barriers are introduced by oxidizing a bilayer consisting with a uniform 0.45-nm Al layer and a wedge-shaped Zr layer (0-2 nm). From the scanning transmission electron microscopy, AlOx and ZrOx layers are mixed together, indicating that compact AlOx layer cannot be formed in such a bilayer structure of barriers. The EH results reveal that there are no sharp interfaces between the barrier and magnetic electrodes, which may be responsible for a smaller tunnelling magnetoresistance compared with the MTJs of Co/AlOx/Co.

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Electron holography of barrier structures in Co/ZrAlO_x/Co magnetic tunnel junctions

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