Ultra-Thin Aluminum Oxide as a Thermal Oxidation Barrier on Metal Films

Published

August 1, 2002

Author(s)

L Gan, Romel Gomez, Audie M. Castillo, P J. Chen, Cedric J. Powell, William F. Egelhoff Jr.

Abstract

We have investigated the role of aluminum oxide films as barriers to thermal oxidation of Co, Ni, Fe, NiFe, Mn, Ta, Cu Al and Cr in air. The oxidation of the film is monitored by measuring the electrical resistance following a brief anneal in air. We find that 0.3nm and 1nm Al protect the underlying metal film against thermal oxidation in air at temperatures a few hundred degrees above the temperature at which the unprotected metal oxides. These results suggested that in the production of magnetic tunnel junction samples could be annealed in air after the oxidation of the oxidation of Al. The expected benefits of the annealing in air would include the oxidation of any remaining of metallic Al, a more uniform Al_2Od3 thickness, and a sharper metal/Al_2Od3 interface.

Citation

Thin Solid Films

Volume

415

Issue

No. 1-2

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

aluminum oxide, magnetic tunnel junction, thermal oxidation, thin film resistance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopes

Citation

Gan, L. , Gomez, R. , Castillo, A. , Chen, P. , Powell, C. and Egelhoff Jr., W. (2002), Ultra-Thin Aluminum Oxide as a Thermal Oxidation Barrier on Metal Films, Thin Solid Films (Accessed March 13, 2025)