Current-driven magnetization switching in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions

被引:176
作者
Hayakawa, J
Ikeda, S
Lee, YM
Sasaki, R
Meguro, T
Matsukura, F
Takahashi, H
Ohno, H
机构
[1] Hitachi Ltd, Adv Res Lab, Tokyo 1858601, Japan
[2] Tohoku Univ, Elect Commun Res Inst, Lab Nanoelect & Spintron, Aoba Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 9808577, Japan
来源
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS PART 2-LETTERS & EXPRESS LETTERS | 2005年 / 44卷 / 37-41期
关键词
current-driven magnetization switching; magnetic tunnel junction; MgO barrier; CoFeB;
D O I
10.1143/JJAP.44.L1267
中图分类号
O59 [应用物理学];
学科分类号
摘要
Current-driven magnetization switching in low-resistance Co40Fe40B20/MgO/Co40Fe40B20 magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is reported. The critical-current densities J(c) requited for current-driven switching in samples annealed at 270 and 300 degrees C are found to be as low as 7.8 x 10(5) and 8.8 x 10(5) A/cm(2) with accompanying tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios of 49 and 73%, respectively. Further annealing of the samples at 350 degrees C increases TMR ratio to 160%, while accompanying J(c) increases to 2.5 x 10(6) A/cm(2). We attribute the low J(c) to the high spin-polarization of tunnel current and small MsV Product of the CoFeB single free layer, where M-s is the saturation magnetization and V the volume of the free layer.
引用
收藏
页码:L1267 / L1270
页数:4
相关论文
共 28 条
[1]   Spin-polarized current switching of a Co thin film nanomagnet [J].
Albert, FJ ;
Katine, JA ;
Buhrman, RA ;
Ralph, DC .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2000, 77 (23) :3809-3811
[2]   Emission of spin waves by a magnetic multilayer traversed by a current [J].
Berger, L .
PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 1996, 54 (13) :9353-9358
[3]   Spin-dependent tunneling conductance of Fe|MgO|Fe sandwiches -: art. no. 054416 [J].
Butler, WH ;
Zhang, XG ;
Schulthess, TC ;
MacLaren, JM .
PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 2001, 63 (05)
[4]   230% room-temperature magnetoresistance in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions [J].
Djayaprawira, DD ;
Tsunekawa, K ;
Nagai, M ;
Maehara, H ;
Yamagata, S ;
Watanabe, N ;
Yuasa, S ;
Suzuki, Y ;
Ando, K .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2005, 86 (09) :1-3
[5]   High tunnel magnetoresistance in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions [J].
Faure-Vincent, J ;
Tiusan, C ;
Jouguelet, E ;
Canet, F ;
Sajieddine, M ;
Bellouard, C ;
Popova, E ;
Hehn, M ;
Montaigne, F ;
Schuhl, A .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2003, 82 (25) :4507-4509
[6]   Adjustable spin torque in magnetic tunnel junctions with two fixed layers [J].
Fuchs, GD ;
Krivorotov, IN ;
Braganca, PM ;
Emley, NC ;
Garcia, AGF ;
Ralph, DC ;
Buhrman, RA .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2005, 86 (15) :1-3
[7]   Spin-transfer effects in nanoscale magnetic tunnel junctions [J].
Fuchs, GD ;
Emley, NC ;
Krivorotov, IN ;
Braganca, PM ;
Ryan, EM ;
Kiselev, SI ;
Sankey, JC ;
Ralph, DC ;
Buhrman, RA ;
Katine, JA .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2004, 85 (07) :1205-1207
[8]   Spin-polarized current induced switching in Co/Cu/Co pillars [J].
Grollier, J ;
Cros, V ;
Hamzic, A ;
George, JM ;
Jaffrès, H ;
Fert, A ;
Faini, G ;
Ben Youssef, J ;
Legall, H .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2001, 78 (23) :3663-3665
[9]   Dependence of giant tunnel magnetoresistance of sputtered CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions on MgO barrier thickness and annealing temperature [J].
Hayakawa, J ;
Ikeda, S ;
Matsukura, F ;
Takahashi, H ;
Ohno, H .
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS PART 2-LETTERS & EXPRESS LETTERS, 2005, 44 (16-19) :L587-L589
[10]   Observation of spin-transfer switching in deep submicron-sized and low-resistance magnetic tunnel junctions [J].
Huai, YM ;
Albert, F ;
Nguyen, P ;
Pakala, M ;
Valet, T .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2004, 84 (16) :3118-3120