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Article: Detection of pinholes in magnetic tunnel junctions by magnetic coupling

TitleDetection of pinholes in magnetic tunnel junctions by magnetic coupling
Authors
Issue Date2008
PublisherAmerican Institute of Physics. The Journal's web site is located at http://jap.aip.org/jap/staff.jsp
Citation
Journal of Applied Physics, 2008, v. 103 n. 7, article no. 07A902 How to Cite?
AbstractPinholes in tunnel barriers are detrimental to the performance of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) since they create direct magnetic exchange coupling between the free and pinned magnetic films and may act as current short circuits. A simple and straightforward technique which enables observation of pinholes and distinguishes pinhole coupling from orange-peel coupling would aid greatly in optimizing the performance of MTJs. However, the existing methods for this determination are quite complex and destructive and do not work on complete structures. We have developed a simpler, nondestructive method that works on full MTJ structures which is able to identify whether an observed coupling arises primarily from magnetic exchange coupling through pinholes or from orange-peel coupling. The method is based on the shift in the free layer hysteresis loop at low temperatures. It is well known that the shift in the pinned layer loop at low temperatures is due to the sharp increase of the IrMn pinning strength. If pinholes exist, the free layer loop will also exhibit a shift due to direct exchange coupling. If there are no pinholes, no shift will be observed since orange-peel coupling is magnetostatic and cobalt has essentially no increase in magnetization below 300 K. In this way, a quick diagnosis can be made of whether or not pinholes exist in the MTJ. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/155453
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 2.7
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.649
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorPong, PWTen_US
dc.contributor.authorDennis, CLen_US
dc.contributor.authorCastillo, Aen_US
dc.contributor.authorChen, Aen_US
dc.contributor.authorEgelhoff Jr, WFen_US
dc.date.accessioned2012-08-08T08:33:34Z-
dc.date.available2012-08-08T08:33:34Z-
dc.date.issued2008en_US
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Applied Physics, 2008, v. 103 n. 7, article no. 07A902-
dc.identifier.issn0021-8979en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/155453-
dc.description.abstractPinholes in tunnel barriers are detrimental to the performance of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) since they create direct magnetic exchange coupling between the free and pinned magnetic films and may act as current short circuits. A simple and straightforward technique which enables observation of pinholes and distinguishes pinhole coupling from orange-peel coupling would aid greatly in optimizing the performance of MTJs. However, the existing methods for this determination are quite complex and destructive and do not work on complete structures. We have developed a simpler, nondestructive method that works on full MTJ structures which is able to identify whether an observed coupling arises primarily from magnetic exchange coupling through pinholes or from orange-peel coupling. The method is based on the shift in the free layer hysteresis loop at low temperatures. It is well known that the shift in the pinned layer loop at low temperatures is due to the sharp increase of the IrMn pinning strength. If pinholes exist, the free layer loop will also exhibit a shift due to direct exchange coupling. If there are no pinholes, no shift will be observed since orange-peel coupling is magnetostatic and cobalt has essentially no increase in magnetization below 300 K. In this way, a quick diagnosis can be made of whether or not pinholes exist in the MTJ. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.en_US
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherAmerican Institute of Physics. The Journal's web site is located at http://jap.aip.org/jap/staff.jspen_US
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Applied Physicsen_US
dc.titleDetection of pinholes in magnetic tunnel junctions by magnetic couplingen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.identifier.emailPong, PWT:ppong@eee.hku.hken_US
dc.identifier.authorityPong, PWT=rp00217en_US
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltexten_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1063/1.2829018en_US
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-42149161072en_US
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-42149161072&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_US
dc.identifier.volume103en_US
dc.identifier.issue7en_US
dc.identifier.spagearticle no. 07A902-
dc.identifier.epagearticle no. 07A902-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000255043200158-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Statesen_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridPong, PWT=24071267900en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridDennis, CL=7102672897en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridCastillo, A=53866216200en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChen, A=8575361200en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridEgelhoff Jr, WF=7006151986en_US
dc.identifier.issnl0021-8979-

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