Determination of barrier oxidation states in spin dependent tunneling structures
- 13 May 1999
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Journal of Applied Physics
- Vol. 85 (11) , 7803-7806
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.370588
Abstract
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize spin dependent tunneling (SDT) structures using plasma oxidized Ta as the insulating barrier. We are able to determine the relative proportion of the different oxidation states of the insulating barrier material. Information available from this technique includes barrier oxidation states, thickness, and completeness of oxidation. Information on the electrodes is also obtained: specifically, Ta is found to diffuse into NiFe, and oxidation of Ni is observed. XPS is shown to be a powerful tool in characterizing the materials sets that comprise SDT devices.This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- Optimum tunnel barrier in ferromagnetic–insulator–ferromagnetic tunneling structuresApplied Physics Letters, 1997
- Spin polarized tunneling in reactively sputtered tunnel junctionsJournal of Applied Physics, 1997
- Photoelectron escape depthJournal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, 1995
- Large Magnetoresistance at Room Temperature in Ferromagnetic Thin Film Tunnel JunctionsPhysical Review Letters, 1995
- Spin dependent electron tunneling between ferromagnetic filmsJournal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 1992
- Large magnetoresistance effect in 82Ni-Fe/Al-Al2O3/Co magnetic tunneling junctionJournal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 1991
- Electron tunneling between ferromagnetic filmsIEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 1982
- Spin polarization of electrons tunneling fromferromagnetic metals and alloysPhysical Review B, 1977
- Tunneling between ferromagnetic filmsPhysics Letters A, 1975
- Spin Polarization of Electrons Tunneling from Films of Fe, Co, Ni, and GdPhysical Review B, 1973