Premium
Probing a Device's Active Atoms
Author(s) -
Studniarek Michał,
Halisdemir Ufuk,
Schleicher Filip,
Taudul Beata,
Urbain Etienne,
Boukari Samy,
Hervé Marie,
Lambert CharlesHenri,
Hamadeh Abbass,
PetitWatelot Sebastien,
Zill Olivia,
Lacour Daniel,
Joly Loïc,
Scheurer Fabrice,
Schmerber Guy,
Da Costa Victor,
Dixit Anant,
Guitard Pierre André,
Acosta Manuel,
Leduc Florian,
Choueikani Fadi,
Otero Edwige,
Wulfhekel Wulf,
Montaigne François,
Monteblanco Elmer Nahuel,
Arabski Jacek,
Ohresser Philippe,
Beaurepaire Eric,
Weber Wolfgang,
Alouani Mébarek,
Hehn Michel,
Bowen Martin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201606578
Subject(s) - microelectronics , spintronics , materials science , synchrotron , engineering physics , optoelectronics , tunnel magnetoresistance , nanotechnology , condensed matter physics , optics , physics , ferromagnetism , layer (electronics)
Materials science and device studies have, when implemented jointly as “operando” studies, better revealed the causal link between the properties of the device's materials and its operation, with applications ranging from gas sensing to information and energy technologies. Here, as a further step that maximizes this causal link, the paper focuses on the electronic properties of those atoms that drive a device's operation by using it to read out the materials property. It is demonstrated how this method can reveal insight into the operation of a macroscale, industrial‐grade microelectronic device on the atomic level. A magnetic tunnel junction's (MTJ's) current, which involves charge transport across different atomic species and interfaces, is measured while these atoms absorb soft X‐rays with synchrotron‐grade brilliance. X‐ray absorption is found to affect magnetotransport when the photon energy and linear polarization are tuned to excite FeO bonds parallel to the MTJ's interfaces. This explicit link between the device's spintronic performance and these FeO bonds, although predicted, challenges conventional wisdom on their detrimental spintronic impact. The technique opens interdisciplinary possibilities to directly probe the role of different atomic species on device operation, and shall considerably simplify the materials science iterations within device research.