Thermal stability of exchange-biased magnetic tunnel junctions with stabilizing layer

Summary form only given. The applications of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) for devices with CMOS such as MRAM need a high tunneling magnetoresistance ratio (TMR) and good thermal stability over 400/spl deg/C. Exchange-biased MTJs with CoFe and Mn-X antiferromagnetic layer show large TMR but annealing over 350/spl deg/C degrades the TMR due to diffusing Mn. Exchange-biased MTJs with a magnetic stabilizing layer (MS-layer) of magnetic metal alloy, with structures of PtMn/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/(MS-layer)/AlOx/(MS-layer)/CoFe, were investigated and showed good thermal stability up to 400/spl deg/C. The samples were prepared by magnetron sputtering and the tunnel barrier formed in situ.