Investigation of atomic layer deposition of magnesium oxide on a CoFeB layer for three-dimensional magnetic tunneling junctions

Jeong Gyu Song; Jusang Park; Jaehong Yoon; Keewon Kim; Youngman Jang; Kwangseok Kim; Hyungjun Kim

doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.11.227

Investigation of atomic layer deposition of magnesium oxide on a CoFeB layer for three-dimensional magnetic tunneling junctions

Jeong Gyu Song, Jusang Park, Jaehong Yoon, Keewon Kim, Youngman Jang, Kwangseok Kim, Hyungjun Kim

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this study, we comparatively investigated thermal- and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (Th- and PE-ALD) of MgO on a CoFeB layer. MgCp ₂ (Bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium) was used as a Mg precursor and H₂O and O₂ plasma were employed as reactants for the Th- and PE-ALD process, respectively. Th- and PE-ALD MgO formed interlayer between MgO and CoFeB layer due to the oxidation of CoFeB by H₂O and O ₂ plasma during the Th- and PE-ALD process. While interlayer formation was observed to be less than 1 nm for Th-ALD MgO, the PE-ALD MgO process resulted in an approximately 5 nm thick, predominantly FeO_x oxidation of CoFeB. This was due to the high reactivity of the O radicals and the higher driving force of Fe for oxidation when compared with Co. Our results show that the Th-ALD MgO process has a better potential as a deposition technique to form tunnel barrier of magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	716-719
Number of pages	4
Journal	Journal of Alloys and Compounds
Volume	588
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.11.227
Publication status	Published - 2014 Mar 5

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Industrial Strategic technology development program (10041926, Development of high-density plasma technologies for the thin-film deposition of nanoscale semiconductors and flexible-display processing) funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE, Korea).

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering
Metals and Alloys
Materials Chemistry

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10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.11.227

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title = "Investigation of atomic layer deposition of magnesium oxide on a CoFeB layer for three-dimensional magnetic tunneling junctions",

abstract = "In this study, we comparatively investigated thermal- and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (Th- and PE-ALD) of MgO on a CoFeB layer. MgCp 2 (Bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium) was used as a Mg precursor and H2O and O2 plasma were employed as reactants for the Th- and PE-ALD process, respectively. Th- and PE-ALD MgO formed interlayer between MgO and CoFeB layer due to the oxidation of CoFeB by H2O and O 2 plasma during the Th- and PE-ALD process. While interlayer formation was observed to be less than 1 nm for Th-ALD MgO, the PE-ALD MgO process resulted in an approximately 5 nm thick, predominantly FeOx oxidation of CoFeB. This was due to the high reactivity of the O radicals and the higher driving force of Fe for oxidation when compared with Co. Our results show that the Th-ALD MgO process has a better potential as a deposition technique to form tunnel barrier of magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs).",

author = "Song, {Jeong Gyu} and Jusang Park and Jaehong Yoon and Keewon Kim and Youngman Jang and Kwangseok Kim and Hyungjun Kim",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Industrial Strategic technology development program (10041926, Development of high-density plasma technologies for the thin-film deposition of nanoscale semiconductors and flexible-display processing) funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE, Korea). ",

year = "2014",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.11.227",

language = "English",

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T1 - Investigation of atomic layer deposition of magnesium oxide on a CoFeB layer for three-dimensional magnetic tunneling junctions

AU - Song, Jeong Gyu

AU - Park, Jusang

AU - Yoon, Jaehong

AU - Kim, Keewon

AU - Jang, Youngman

AU - Kim, Kwangseok

AU - Kim, Hyungjun

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Industrial Strategic technology development program (10041926, Development of high-density plasma technologies for the thin-film deposition of nanoscale semiconductors and flexible-display processing) funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE, Korea).

PY - 2014/3/5

Y1 - 2014/3/5

N2 - In this study, we comparatively investigated thermal- and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (Th- and PE-ALD) of MgO on a CoFeB layer. MgCp 2 (Bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium) was used as a Mg precursor and H2O and O2 plasma were employed as reactants for the Th- and PE-ALD process, respectively. Th- and PE-ALD MgO formed interlayer between MgO and CoFeB layer due to the oxidation of CoFeB by H2O and O 2 plasma during the Th- and PE-ALD process. While interlayer formation was observed to be less than 1 nm for Th-ALD MgO, the PE-ALD MgO process resulted in an approximately 5 nm thick, predominantly FeOx oxidation of CoFeB. This was due to the high reactivity of the O radicals and the higher driving force of Fe for oxidation when compared with Co. Our results show that the Th-ALD MgO process has a better potential as a deposition technique to form tunnel barrier of magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs).

AB - In this study, we comparatively investigated thermal- and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (Th- and PE-ALD) of MgO on a CoFeB layer. MgCp 2 (Bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium) was used as a Mg precursor and H2O and O2 plasma were employed as reactants for the Th- and PE-ALD process, respectively. Th- and PE-ALD MgO formed interlayer between MgO and CoFeB layer due to the oxidation of CoFeB by H2O and O 2 plasma during the Th- and PE-ALD process. While interlayer formation was observed to be less than 1 nm for Th-ALD MgO, the PE-ALD MgO process resulted in an approximately 5 nm thick, predominantly FeOx oxidation of CoFeB. This was due to the high reactivity of the O radicals and the higher driving force of Fe for oxidation when compared with Co. Our results show that the Th-ALD MgO process has a better potential as a deposition technique to form tunnel barrier of magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs).

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Investigation of atomic layer deposition of magnesium oxide on a CoFeB layer for three-dimensional magnetic tunneling junctions

Abstract

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