X-ray Reflectivity and Polarized Neutron Reflectivity Investigations of [Co60 Fe60 B20 /MgO]n Multilayers |
| M. Vadalà a, M. Wolff a, K. Westerholt a, H. Zabel a, P. Wisniowski b and S. Cardoso b
a Experimentalphysik/FestkÖrperphysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany b INESC-Microsystems and Nanotechnologies, Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000- 029 Lisboa, Portugal |
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| Received: 4 07 2007; |
| In recent years magnetic tunnel junctions have been intensively studied and incorporated in magnetic random access memory devices and magnetic sensors, where large tunnelling magnetoresistance ratios are preferred. The largest tunnelling magnetoresistance values until now have been observed in magnetic tunnel junctions with MgO barriers and CoFeB electrodes after annealing of the junction above the recrystallization temperature of the amorphous CoFeB layers. We used X-ray reflectivity and polarized neutron reflectivity to study [Co60 Fe60 B20 /MgO]x14 multilayers with the MgO layers prepared by different methods and annealed at different temperatures in order to compare the interface quality and the structural changes induced upon annealing. |
| DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.112.1249 PACS numbers: 75.50.-i, 75.50.Kj, 75.50.Cc |