Application of -Fe203 Bottom GMR Spin-Valve for Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM)

Published

October 12, 2021

Author(s)

S E. Bae, William F. Egelhoff Jr., P J. Chen, S Zurn, L Sheppard, E J. Torok, J H. Judy

Abstract

The possibility of the application of -Fe203 bottom GMR spin-valve for magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) device has been investigated for the first time from the point view of magnetic properties of spin-valve, device fabrication, and thermal and chemical stability. It is revealed that the GMR ratio, pinned-layer coercivity, Hcp, and free-layer coercivity, Hcf, are strongly affected by the -Fe203 anti-ferromagnetic layer thickness, which is related to surface roughness and grain size of the pinned and free magnetic layers. A GMR spin-valve with 25nm thick -Fe203 layer had small pinned and free coericivties with a GMR ratio as high as 14.4 % and very good thermal stability even after patterning with micron dimension. The good GMR characteristics of -Fe203 bottom spin-valve for a MRAM device application is mainly thought to be attributed to the high blocking temperature (approximately 375 C to 390 C) and the high chemical corrosion resistance of anti-ferromagnetic -Fe203 material.

Citation

Proceedings of the International Conference on Ferrites

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

exchange bias, giant magnetoresistive random access mem

Citation

Bae, S. , Egelhoff Jr., W. , Chen, P. , Zurn, S. , Sheppard, L. , Torok, E. and Judy, J. (2021), Application of -Fe203 Bottom GMR Spin-Valve for Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM), Proceedings of the International Conference on Ferrites (Accessed January 3, 2025)