High Spin Torque Efficiency of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with MgO/CoFeB/MgO Free Layer

We present the results of a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) that displays simultaneously low critical switching current and voltage, as well as high thermal stability factor. These results were achieved using a free layer of the MgO/CoFeB/MgO structure by increasing the spin torque effi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics express 2012-09, Vol.5 (9), p.093008-093008-3
Main Authors: Jan, Guenole, Wang, Yu-Jen, Moriyama, Takahiro, Lee, Yuan-Jen, Lin, Mark, Zhong, Tom, Tong, Ru-Ying, Torng, Terry, Wang, Po-Kang
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We present the results of a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) that displays simultaneously low critical switching current and voltage, as well as high thermal stability factor. These results were achieved using a free layer of the MgO/CoFeB/MgO structure by increasing the spin torque efficiency to an average of 3.0 $k_{\text{B}}T$/μA for 37-nm-diameter junctions, about three times that of a MgO/CoFeB/Ta free layer, which makes it the highest value reported to date. By comparing two films with different $\mathit{RA}$, hence different switching voltage and power, we explore the contributions of heating and voltage-modulated anisotropy change to the switching properties.
ISSN:1882-0778
1882-0786
DOI:10.1143/APEX.5.093008