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The role of interfaces in the behavior of magnetic tunnel junction structures

Published/Copyright: June 11, 2013
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International Journal of Materials Research
From the journal International Journal of Materials Research Volume 101 Issue 1

Abstract

Magnetic tunnel junctions are nanoscale oxide heterostructures that exhibit the phenomenon of tunnel magnetoresistance. The transport and magnetic behavior of these structures depends critically on parameters such as the layer thickness and the roughness and chemical abruptness of the interfaces between the layers, which are nanometer-scale in thickness. We have used high resolution electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy chemical mapping and atom probe tomography to understand the microstructural origins of the magnetic and transport properties of magnetoresistive structures. We have also used in-situ transmission electron microscopy nanobiasing experiments to probe the local transport properties of magnetic tunnel junctions as a function of processing conditions.

Keywords: Interfaces; Tunnel junctions; Magnetic; Electron microscopy
* Correspondence address Dr. Amanda K. Petford-Long, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Lab 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439, U. S. A. Tel.: +1 630 252 5480, Fax: +1 630 252 4798, E-mail:

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Received: 2009-4-8
Accepted: 2009-10-26
Published Online: 2013-06-11
Published in Print: 2010-01-01

© 2010, Carl Hanser Verlag, München

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https://doi.org/10.3139/146.110255
Keywords for this article
Interfaces; Tunnel junctions; Magnetic; Electron microscopy

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Contents
  3. Editorial
  4. Editorial
  5. The 7th International Workshop on Interfaces: New Materials via Interfacial Control
  6. Basic
  7. First principles based predictions of the toughness of a metal/oxide interface
  8. The role of interfaces in the behavior of magnetic tunnel junction structures
  9. Applications of aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy to thin oxide films and interfaces
  10. Van der Waals-London dispersion interaction framework for experimentally realistic carbon nanotube systems
  11. Determination of grain boundary potentials in ceramics: Combining impedance spectroscopy and inline electron holography
  12. Grain boundary plane distributions in aluminas evolving by normal and abnormal grain growth and displaying different complexions
  13. Theoretical study on the structure and energetics of intergranular glassy film in Si3N4-SiO2 ceramics
  14. Inter-granular glassy phases in the low-CaO-doped HIPed Si3N4 ceramics: a review
  15. Applied
  16. Sintering of fully faceted crystalline particles
  17. Grain growth kinetics and segregation in yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystals
  18. A new method to measure monoclinic depth profile in zirconia-based ceramics from X-ray diffraction data
  19. The role of Si impurities in the transient dopant segregation and precipitation in yttrium-doped alumina
  20. Using microfabricated devices to determine the fracture strength of materials
  21. Spark plasma sintering of self-doped alumina powders
  22. High density carbon materials obtained at relatively low temperature by spark plasma sintering of carbon nanofibers
  23. Application of new forming and sintering techniques to obtain hydroxyapatite and β-TCP nanostructured composites
  24. Silver-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites as bactericidal and fungicidal materials
  25. Cu-Ni-YSZ anodes for solid oxide fuel cell by mechanical alloying processing
  26. Rapid transient-liquid-phase bonding of Al2O3 with microdesigned Ni/Nb/Ni interlayers
  27. DGM News
  28. Personal
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