Fe_{3−<i>δ</i>}O₄/MgO/Co magnetic tunnel junctions synthesized by full<i>in situ</i>atomic layer and chemical vapour deposition

Abstract

Fe3-delta O4/MgO/Co magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) are synthesized on top of similar to 1 inch Si/SiO2 substrates by conducting a full in situ chemical vapour and atomic layer deposition process with no vacuum break. Tunnel magnetoresistance up to 6% is measured at room temperature, increasing to 12.5% at 120 K. Our results demonstrate the possibility of using full-chemical processes to synthesize functional MTJs, and this could provide a path towards the use of cost-effective methods to produce magnetic devices on a large scale.