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Tunnel Magnetoresistance Effect and Its Applications
Tunnel Magnetoresistance Effect and Its Applications
Osaka University
(High-frequency experiment)
Toshiba Corp.
(R & D of Spin-MRAM)
Funding agencies
Outline
(1) Introduction
Charge -e Spin
S
Electronics Electron Magnetics
・diode ・magnetic recording
Magneto-
・transistor ・permanent magnet
resistance
Since 1988
LSI
Spintronics Hard Disk Drive
Both charge and spin of (HDD)
the electron is utilized for
novel functionalities.
What is “magnetoresistance” ?
A change in resistance by an application of H.
Magneto-Resistance ; MR
Resistance (R)
Magnetoresistance ratio
(MR ratio)
1985
GMR effect A. Fert, P. Grünberg
MR = 5 ~ 15 %
(Nobel Prize 2007)
1990
TMR effect
1995 MR = 20 ~ 70 %
T. Miyazaki, J. Moodera
2000
2005
2010
Tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect
FM electrode
Tunnel barrier
FM electrode
T. Miyazaki
(Tohoku Univ.) J. S. Moodera
(MIT)
Ferromag.
electrode
Amorphous Al-O MR ratios of 20 – 70% at RT
Ferromag.
electrode
Write head
Recording
medium
S
S NN
S NN S
NN S
Head Medium S
Rotation Read head
Recording density (Gbit / inch2)
■
■ TMR head
■
1
■ ■
0.1 ■
GMR head
0.01
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Year
Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM)
MTJ
Bit Line
“0”
Ward Line
“1”
Non-volatile memory
Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM)
Bit Line
MTJ
Write Line
Word Line
n+ p n+
CMOS Freescale’s 4 Mbit-MRAM
Cross-section structure based on Al-O MTJs
Volume production since 2006.
<Advantages>
Non-volatile, high speed, infinite write endurance, etc.
<Disadvantage>
High-density MRAM is difficult to develop.
GMR head
2000
Memory
TMR head
2005 MRAM
(1) Introduction
Fe(001)
MgO(001)
Fe(001)
e e
EF EF EF EF
( Dα ↑ ( EF ) − Dα ↓ ( EF ) )
MR ≡ (RAP – RP) / RP = 2P1P2 / (1 – P1P2), Pα = , α = 1, 2.
+
( Dα ↑ ( EF ) Dα ↓ ( EF ) )
Spin polarization P
Tunneling process in MTJs
Amorphous Al-O barrier Crystalline MgO(001) barrier
No symmetry 4-fold symmetry
Δ2’ Δ5 Δ2’ Δ5
Fe(001) Δ1 Fe(001) Δ1
Al-O MgO(001) Δ1
Fe(001)
Δ1
E - EF ( eV )
0.5
Δ1↑
0.0 EF
-0.5
Γ (001) direction H
Fe(001)
(Pinned layer)
MgO(001)
Fe(001)
(Free layer)
2 nm
TEM image
T = 20 K
MR ratio ( % ) 200 MR = 247%
T = 293 K
MR = 180%
100
0
-200 -100 0 100 200
H ( Oe )
MTJs with a single-crystal MgO(001) barrier
[1] Yuasa, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 43, L558 (2004). [2] Parkin, Nature Mater. 3, 862 (2004).
[3] Yuasa, Nature Mater. 3, 868 (2004).
Outline
(1) Introduction
0
1995 2000 2005
Year
[1] Yuasa, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 43, L558 (2004). [2] Parkin, Nature Mater. 3, 862 (2004).
[3] Yuasa, Nature Mater. 3, 868 (2004). [4] Djayaprawira, SY, APL 86, 092502 (2005).
MTJ structure for practical applications
Free layer or
Tunnel barrier
Pinned layer
Ru
This structure is
FM (Co-Fe) based on fcc (111).
AF layer (Pt-Mn or Ir-Mn)
for exchange biasing
Amorphous
CoFeB
Textured
MgO(001)
Amorphous
CoFeB
TEM image
Djayaprawira, SY, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 092502 (2005).
Crystalline
symmetry Free layer
4-fold Tunnel barrier
Pinned layer
Amorphous
SyF structure
AF layer for
3-fold exchange-
biasing
Annealing
Amorphous CoFeB above 250 ºC bcc CoFeB(001)
Amorphous CoFeB
Crystal-
Textured MgO(001) Textured MgO(001) lization
φ 8 inch
Thermally oxidized
Standard sputtering machine Si wafer (8 or 12 inch)
in HDD industry 100 wafers a day !
MR effects Industrial applications
MR ratio (RT & low H)
Year
HDD head
AMR effect
1857 MR = 1 ~ 2 %
Inductive
head
1985
GMR effect
MR = 5 ~ 15 %
1990
MR head
TMR effect
1995 MR = 20 ~ 70 %
GMR head
2000
Memory
Giant TMR effect TMR head
2005 MR = 200 ~ 600 % MRAM Novel
MgO-TMR head devices
2010
Spin-torque
MRAM Microwave, etc.
Technologies for HDD read head
Write head
Recording
medium
S
S NN
S NN S
NN S
Head Medium S
Rotation Read head
Recording density (Gbit / inch2)
■
■ TMR head
■
1
■ ■
0.1 ■
GMR head
0.01
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Year
MgO-TMR head for ultrahigh-density HDD
Wafer of MgO-TMR head MgO-TMR head
Cut
Inte-
gration
Inte-
gration Magnetic shield
(top lead)
Permanent Permanent
magnet magnet
MgO–MTJ
GMR head
2000
Memory
Giant TMR effect TMR head
2005 MR = 200 ~ 600 % MRAM Novel
MgO-TMR head devices
2010
Spin-torque
MRAM Microwave, etc.
Spin-torque MRAM (SpinRAM)
MTJ CoFeB
MgO
CoFeB
Ru
1 nm CoFe
CMOS
Upper metal
or
50 nm Upper
electrode MgO(001)
Storage layer
MTJ MgO
Referenc
Bottom elctrode e layer
50nm
A TEM image of 50 nm-sized MTJ
Perpendicularly-magnetized
electrodes
GMR head
2000
Memory
Giant TMR effect TMR head
2005 MR = 200 ~ 600 % MRAM Novel
MgO-TMR head devices
2010
Spin-RAM
Microwave, etc.