Applied Physics Letters · 2006 · 613 citations · 13 references
Natural SciencesMaterials EngineeringMaterials ScienceElectronic MaterialsMagnetic MaterialsNanomaterialsFerromagnetic MaterialsFerromagnetismQuantum TunnelingSpintronicsSuperconducting Thin FilmsTunnelingEnergy Band GapGiant MagnetoresistanceMagnetic Tunnel JunctionsStackingTemperature DependenceTunnel JunctionsTunneling BarriersTunneling Magnetoresistance
Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a stacking structure of Co2MnSi∕Al–O∕Co2MnSi were fabricated using magnetron sputtering system. Fabricated MTJ exhibited an extremely large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio of 570% at low temperature, which is the highest TMR ratio reported to date for an amorphous Al–O tunneling barrier. The observed dependence of tunneling conductance on bias voltage clearly reveals the half-metallic energy gap of Co2MnSi. The origins of large temperature dependence of TMR ratio were discussed on the basis of the present results.
13