Co/Ni based p-MTJ stack for sub-20nm high density stand alone and high performance embedded memory application

Abstract

Excellent tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) values of 143% at resistance-area products (RA) of 4.7 Ωμm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> from 11nm thin Co/Ni based perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJ) was achieved. Engineered wetting layer (WL), seed layer (SL) and the introduction of newly designed inner synthetic anti-ferromagnetic (iSAF) pinned layer in combination with ultra-smooth bottom electrode (roughness 0.5 Å) was yielded to vertically scaled 11nm thick Co/Ni p-MTJ stack with excellent magnetic properties. The introduction of iSAF layer demonstrates for the 1 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">st</sup> time the free layer offset field controllability (<; 100 Oe) of the spin-transfer-torque (STT) magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device down to 12 nm in diameter.