Fabrication of soft-magnetic FeAlSi thin films with nm-order thickness for the free layer of magnetic tunnel junction based sensors

Shoma Akamatsu; Mikihiko Oogane; Masakiyo Tsunoda; Yasuo Ando

doi:10.1063/1.5129953

AIP Advances (Jan 2020)

Fabrication of soft-magnetic FeAlSi thin films with nm-order thickness for the free layer of magnetic tunnel junction based sensors

Shoma Akamatsu,
Mikihiko Oogane,
Masakiyo Tsunoda,
Yasuo Ando

Affiliations

Shoma Akamatsu: Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
Mikihiko Oogane: Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
Masakiyo Tsunoda: Center for Spintronics Research Network, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Yasuo Ando: Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5129953
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 015302 – 015302-4

Abstract

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FeAlSi epitaxial films were fabricated on single crystalline MgO(100) substrates and their structural and magnetic properties were investigated to apply them to the free layer in magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) based sensors. We found that the film composition must be precisely controlled, and the post-annealing temperature was varied to obtain a D03-ordered structure and soft magnetic property. By adjustment of the film composition and optimizing annealing temperature, we succeeded in obtaining D03-ordered FeAlSi thin films with a small surface roughness and low coercivity. The fabricated FeAlSi film is greatly useful as a free layer material in MTJ based sensor devices.

Published in AIP Advances

ISSN: 2158-3226 (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Physics
Website: http://aipadvances.aip.org/

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