Tuning Magnetic Microstructures of Reference Layer in Magnetic Tunneling Junctions

Authors

L. Yuan, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Y. S. Lin, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Dexin Wang, Seagate Recording Heads, Bloomington, MN
Sy-Hwang Liou, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

6-2007

Comments

Published in IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL. 43, NO. 6, JUNE 2007. Copyright © 2007 IEEE. Used by permission.

Abstract

Magnetic microstructures in the reference layer in magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) are tuned by a reversal field under ambient conditions to investigate their effects on the magnetoresistance (MR) and the exchange coupling field (H_E) between the reference layer and the free layer. Magnetization changes in the reference layer can be probed by measuring minor MR loops. The results show the H_E of the minor MR loops versus the applied reversal field changes from negative to positive and crosses zero. These results can be explained by the magnetic inhomogeneities at the interface between anti-ferromagnetic/pinned-ferromagnetic layers, which causes the partial magnetization reversal in the reference layer.