https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2008100
Influence of interfacial oxygen on single-crystal magnetic tunnel junctions
Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
Corresponding author: frederic.bonell@lpm.u.nancy.fr
Received:
15
January
2008
Accepted:
21
April
2008
Published online:
19
June
2008
The influence of adsorbed oxygen at the first interface of single-crystal Fe(001)/MgO(001)/Fe(001) magnetic tunnel junctions is investigated. Firstly, the adsorption kinetics of O2 on the Fe(001) surface is studied in the monolayer regime by X-ray photoelectrons spectroscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy experiments. We show that different species exist at the oxidized surface. The tunnel magneto-resistance of oxygen-doped magnetic tunnel junctions is found to decrease but remains large even for oxygen coverages exceeding one monolayer.
PACS: 85.75.-d – Magnetoelectronics; spintronics: devices exploiting spin polarized transport or integrated magnetic fields / 68.37.Ef – Scanning tunneling microscopy / 68.43.-h – Chemisorption/physisorption: adsorbates on surfaces
© EDP Sciences, 2008
