Open AccessInfluence of annealing on thermal stability of IrMn-based magnetic tunnel juctions
Author(s) -
Yan Jiang,
Xianjin Qi,
Yingang Wang
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
wuli xuebao
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.199
H-Index - 47
ISSN - 1000-3290
DOI - 10.7498/aps.60.088106
Subject(s) - materials science , annealing (glass) , condensed matter physics , magnetometer , ferromagnetism , sputter deposition , antiferromagnetism , saturation (graph theory) , exchange bias , magnetic field , coercivity , sputtering , magnetic anisotropy , nuclear magnetic resonance , thin film , composite material , magnetization , nanotechnology , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , combinatorics
The magnetic tunnel junction with a structure of IrMn/CoFe/AlOx/CoFe is deposited by magnetron sputtering and annealed at different temperatures in a magnetic field of parallel to the orienting field. Vibrating sample magnetometer is used to record the magnetic hysteresis loop at room temperature, and scanning probe microscope is used to record the interface morphology. The influence of annealing on thermal stability of the magnetic tunnel junction is investigated by holding the film in its negative saturation field. After annealing, the exchange bias increases due to the enhancement of unidirectional anisotropy of antiferromagnetic layer. The recoil loop of the pinned ferromagnetic layer shifts towards the positive field, and the exchange bias field decreases monotonically, with the film held in a negative saturation field, whereas annealing reduces the reduction speed of Hex.