A study of the effect of iron island morphology and interface oxidation on the magnetic hysteresis of Fe-MgO (001) thin film composites

Steven R. Spurgeon; Jennifer D. Sloppy; Runzhe Tao; Robert F. Klie; Samuel E. Lofland; Jon K. Baldwin; Amit Misra; Mitra L. Taheri

doi:10.1063/1.4730630

A study of the effect of iron island morphology and interface oxidation on the magnetic hysteresis of Fe-MgO (001) thin film composites

Steven R. Spurgeon, Jennifer D. Sloppy, Runzhe Tao, Robert F. Klie, Samuel E. Lofland, Jon K. Baldwin, Amit Misra, Mitra L. Taheri

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fe-MgO tunnel junctions have received much attention for their use in hard drive read heads and other spintronic applications. The system is particularly interesting because of its magnetoresistive behavior and the abundance and low cost of its constituent elements. However, many questions remain about how the structure and chemistry of the Fe-MgO interface mediates magnetic behavior. In this study, we report on transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and magnetic characterization of Fe-MgO composite films with various morphologies. We explore relationships between film morphology, intermixing, and the resulting effects on magnetic structure. We find the presence of oxidation at the Fe-MgO interface, with a detrimental impact on the saturation magnetization of the composite. We also observe changes in coercivity and magnetocrystalline anisotropy with film morphology and thickness. These results will inform the design of MgO-based tunnel junctions and improve our understanding of how processing conditions, resulting in morphological and chemical changes such as oxidation, affect magnetization.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	013905
Journal	Journal of Applied Physics
Volume	112
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4730630
State	Published - Jul 1 2012

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1063/1.4730630

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@article{76bab573bdf545f7bab4d62b1a82e7c6,

title = "A study of the effect of iron island morphology and interface oxidation on the magnetic hysteresis of Fe-MgO (001) thin film composites",

abstract = "Fe-MgO tunnel junctions have received much attention for their use in hard drive read heads and other spintronic applications. The system is particularly interesting because of its magnetoresistive behavior and the abundance and low cost of its constituent elements. However, many questions remain about how the structure and chemistry of the Fe-MgO interface mediates magnetic behavior. In this study, we report on transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and magnetic characterization of Fe-MgO composite films with various morphologies. We explore relationships between film morphology, intermixing, and the resulting effects on magnetic structure. We find the presence of oxidation at the Fe-MgO interface, with a detrimental impact on the saturation magnetization of the composite. We also observe changes in coercivity and magnetocrystalline anisotropy with film morphology and thickness. These results will inform the design of MgO-based tunnel junctions and improve our understanding of how processing conditions, resulting in morphological and chemical changes such as oxidation, affect magnetization.",

author = "Spurgeon, {Steven R.} and Sloppy, {Jennifer D.} and Runzhe Tao and Klie, {Robert F.} and Lofland, {Samuel E.} and Baldwin, {Jon K.} and Amit Misra and Taheri, {Mitra L.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation under Grant #DGE- 0654313 (M.L.T.), #CMMI- 1031403 (M.L.T.), #DMR- 0846784 (R.F.K., R.T.), #DMR- 0908779 (S.E.L), and #DMR- 0821406 (S.E.L.), as well as from the Office of Naval Research under Grant #N00014-1101-0296/12PR02130-02 (M.L.T.). Electron microscopy was conducted in Drexel University{\textquoteright}s Centralized Research Facilities and at the Research Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago; magnetic measurements were performed in Rowan University{\textquoteright}s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Author S.R.S. is supported by a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) and a Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship.",

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T1 - A study of the effect of iron island morphology and interface oxidation on the magnetic hysteresis of Fe-MgO (001) thin film composites

AU - Spurgeon, Steven R.

AU - Sloppy, Jennifer D.

AU - Tao, Runzhe

AU - Klie, Robert F.

AU - Lofland, Samuel E.

AU - Baldwin, Jon K.

AU - Misra, Amit

AU - Taheri, Mitra L.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation under Grant #DGE- 0654313 (M.L.T.), #CMMI- 1031403 (M.L.T.), #DMR- 0846784 (R.F.K., R.T.), #DMR- 0908779 (S.E.L), and #DMR- 0821406 (S.E.L.), as well as from the Office of Naval Research under Grant #N00014-1101-0296/12PR02130-02 (M.L.T.). Electron microscopy was conducted in Drexel University’s Centralized Research Facilities and at the Research Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago; magnetic measurements were performed in Rowan University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Author S.R.S. is supported by a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) and a Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship.

PY - 2012/7/1

Y1 - 2012/7/1

N2 - Fe-MgO tunnel junctions have received much attention for their use in hard drive read heads and other spintronic applications. The system is particularly interesting because of its magnetoresistive behavior and the abundance and low cost of its constituent elements. However, many questions remain about how the structure and chemistry of the Fe-MgO interface mediates magnetic behavior. In this study, we report on transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and magnetic characterization of Fe-MgO composite films with various morphologies. We explore relationships between film morphology, intermixing, and the resulting effects on magnetic structure. We find the presence of oxidation at the Fe-MgO interface, with a detrimental impact on the saturation magnetization of the composite. We also observe changes in coercivity and magnetocrystalline anisotropy with film morphology and thickness. These results will inform the design of MgO-based tunnel junctions and improve our understanding of how processing conditions, resulting in morphological and chemical changes such as oxidation, affect magnetization.

AB - Fe-MgO tunnel junctions have received much attention for their use in hard drive read heads and other spintronic applications. The system is particularly interesting because of its magnetoresistive behavior and the abundance and low cost of its constituent elements. However, many questions remain about how the structure and chemistry of the Fe-MgO interface mediates magnetic behavior. In this study, we report on transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and magnetic characterization of Fe-MgO composite films with various morphologies. We explore relationships between film morphology, intermixing, and the resulting effects on magnetic structure. We find the presence of oxidation at the Fe-MgO interface, with a detrimental impact on the saturation magnetization of the composite. We also observe changes in coercivity and magnetocrystalline anisotropy with film morphology and thickness. These results will inform the design of MgO-based tunnel junctions and improve our understanding of how processing conditions, resulting in morphological and chemical changes such as oxidation, affect magnetization.

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A study of the effect of iron island morphology and interface oxidation on the magnetic hysteresis of Fe-MgO (001) thin film composites

Abstract

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