Abstract
We report on the integration of an antiferromagnetic Heusler compound acting as a pinning layer into magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs). The antiferromagnet Ru2MnGe is used to pin the magnetization direction of a ferromagnetic Fe layer in MgO based thin film tunneling magnetoresistance stacks. The samples were prepared using magnetron co-sputtering. We investigate the structural properties by X-ray diffraction and reflection, as well as atomic force and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. We find an excellent crystal growth quality with a low interface roughnesses of 1–3 A ̊ , which is crucial for the preparation of working tunneling barriers. Using Fe as a ferromagnetic elec- trode material, we prepared magnetic tunneling junctions and measured the magnetoresistance. We find a sizeable maximum magnetoresistance value of 135%, which is comparable to other common Fe based MTJ systems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 032406 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-5 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
| Volume | 111 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Jul 2017 |
Bibliographical note
© 2017, AIP Publishing. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.Keywords
- Heusler alloys
- antiferromagnetic materials