MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD

摘要

A single crystal MgO(001) substrate (11) is prepared. An epitaxial Fe(001) lower electrode (first electrode) (17) having a thickness of 50 nm is deposited on an MgO(001) seed layer (15) at room temperature. In an ultrahigh vacuum (2×10^-8 Pa) state, annealing is preformed at 350°C. An MgO(001) barrier layer (21) having a thickness of 2 nm is epitaxially deposited on the Fe(001) lower electrode (first electrode) (17) at room temperature by MgO electron beam vacuum deposition. An Fe(001) upper electrode (second electrode) (23) having a thickness of 10 nm is deposited on the MgO(001) barrier layer (21) at room temperature. Consecutively, a Co layer (21) having a thickness of 10 nm is deposited on the Fe(001) upper electrode (second electrode) (23). The Co layer (21) enhances the holding capability of the upper electrode (23) to realize an antiparallel magnetization arrangement. By microfabrication the above produced sample, Fe(001)/MgO(001)/Fe(001) TMR element is fabricated. Thus, the output voltage value of an MRAM can be increased.