Irradiation Effects on Perpendicular Anisotropy Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

Mahshid Alamdar; Liang Juan Chang; Karalee Jarvis; Paul Kotula; Can Cui; Raluca Gearba-Dolocan; Yihan Liu; Enrique Antunano; Jack E. Manuel; Gyorgy Vizkelethy; Lin Xue; Robin Jacobs-Gedrim; Christopher H. Bennett; T. Patrick Xiao; David Hughart; Edward Bielejec; Matthew J. Marinella; Jean Anne C. Incorvia

doi:10.1109/TNS.2021.3066070

Irradiation Effects on Perpendicular Anisotropy Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

Mahshid Alamdar, Liang Juan Chang, Karalee Jarvis, Paul Kotula, Can Cui, Raluca Gearba-Dolocan, Yihan Liu, Enrique Antunano, Jack E. Manuel, Gyorgy Vizkelethy, Lin Xue, Robin Jacobs-Gedrim, Christopher H. Bennett, T. Patrick Xiao, David Hughart, Edward Bielejec, Matthew J. Marinella, Jean Anne C. Incorvia

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

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

We study the impact of irradiation on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching using magneto-optical Kerr effect and transmission electron microscopy. Our results show that the thin-film stack is robust to gamma ionizing dose up to 1 Mrad(Si) and Ta1+ ion irradiation fluences up to 1012 ions/cm2, showing SOT PMA MTJs are radiation-hard. But, at very high Ta1+ ion irradiation between 1012 and 1014 ions/cm2, reduced coercivity and eventually greatly reduced PMA are observed, corresponding with an increase in intermixing of the CoFeB-MgO layers, particularly at the lower CoFeB-MgO interface. These results agree with displacement damage modeling that predicts higher damage in the layers closer to the bottom heavy metal and substrate. Compared to spin transfer torque and in-plane anisotropy MTJs, needing a top-pinned stack, a thicker heavy metal layer, and perpendicular anisotropy that is pinned out of plane by interfaces, all could make SOT PMA MTJs more susceptible to damage at high doses.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	9378556
Pages (from-to)	665-670
Number of pages	6
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
Volume	68
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2021.3066070
State	Published - May 2021
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Gamma-ray effects
ion irradiation effects
magnetic domain
magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)
perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA)
spin-orbit torque (SOT)
transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Nuclear Energy and Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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Alamdar, M., Chang, L. J., Jarvis, K., Kotula, P., Cui, C., Gearba-Dolocan, R., Liu, Y., Antunano, E., Manuel, J. E., Vizkelethy, G., Xue, L., Jacobs-Gedrim, R., Bennett, C. H., Xiao, T. P., Hughart, D., Bielejec, E., Marinella, M. J., & Incorvia, J. A. C. (2021). Irradiation Effects on Perpendicular Anisotropy Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 68(5), 665-670. Article 9378556. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2021.3066070

Alamdar, M, Chang, LJ, Jarvis, K, Kotula, P, Cui, C, Gearba-Dolocan, R, Liu, Y, Antunano, E, Manuel, JE, Vizkelethy, G, Xue, L, Jacobs-Gedrim, R, Bennett, CH, Xiao, TP, Hughart, D, Bielejec, E, Marinella, MJ & Incorvia, JAC 2021, 'Irradiation Effects on Perpendicular Anisotropy Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions', IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol. 68, no. 5, 9378556, pp. 665-670. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2021.3066070

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title = "Irradiation Effects on Perpendicular Anisotropy Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions",

abstract = "We study the impact of irradiation on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching using magneto-optical Kerr effect and transmission electron microscopy. Our results show that the thin-film stack is robust to gamma ionizing dose up to 1 Mrad(Si) and Ta1+ ion irradiation fluences up to 1012 ions/cm2, showing SOT PMA MTJs are radiation-hard. But, at very high Ta1+ ion irradiation between 1012 and 1014 ions/cm2, reduced coercivity and eventually greatly reduced PMA are observed, corresponding with an increase in intermixing of the CoFeB-MgO layers, particularly at the lower CoFeB-MgO interface. These results agree with displacement damage modeling that predicts higher damage in the layers closer to the bottom heavy metal and substrate. Compared to spin transfer torque and in-plane anisotropy MTJs, needing a top-pinned stack, a thicker heavy metal layer, and perpendicular anisotropy that is pinned out of plane by interfaces, all could make SOT PMA MTJs more susceptible to damage at high doses.",

keywords = "Gamma-ray effects, ion irradiation effects, magnetic domain, magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), spin-orbit torque (SOT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)",

author = "Mahshid Alamdar and Chang, {Liang Juan} and Karalee Jarvis and Paul Kotula and Can Cui and Raluca Gearba-Dolocan and Yihan Liu and Enrique Antunano and Manuel, {Jack E.} and Gyorgy Vizkelethy and Lin Xue and Robin Jacobs-Gedrim and Bennett, {Christopher H.} and Xiao, {T. Patrick} and David Hughart and Edward Bielejec and Marinella, {Matthew J.} and Incorvia, {Jean Anne C.}",

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year = "2021",

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doi = "10.1109/TNS.2021.3066070",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Alamdar, Mahshid

AU - Chang, Liang Juan

AU - Jarvis, Karalee

AU - Kotula, Paul

AU - Cui, Can

AU - Gearba-Dolocan, Raluca

AU - Liu, Yihan

AU - Antunano, Enrique

AU - Manuel, Jack E.

AU - Vizkelethy, Gyorgy

AU - Xue, Lin

AU - Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin

AU - Bennett, Christopher H.

AU - Xiao, T. Patrick

AU - Hughart, David

AU - Bielejec, Edward

AU - Marinella, Matthew J.

AU - Incorvia, Jean Anne C.

PY - 2021/5

Y1 - 2021/5

N2 - We study the impact of irradiation on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching using magneto-optical Kerr effect and transmission electron microscopy. Our results show that the thin-film stack is robust to gamma ionizing dose up to 1 Mrad(Si) and Ta1+ ion irradiation fluences up to 1012 ions/cm2, showing SOT PMA MTJs are radiation-hard. But, at very high Ta1+ ion irradiation between 1012 and 1014 ions/cm2, reduced coercivity and eventually greatly reduced PMA are observed, corresponding with an increase in intermixing of the CoFeB-MgO layers, particularly at the lower CoFeB-MgO interface. These results agree with displacement damage modeling that predicts higher damage in the layers closer to the bottom heavy metal and substrate. Compared to spin transfer torque and in-plane anisotropy MTJs, needing a top-pinned stack, a thicker heavy metal layer, and perpendicular anisotropy that is pinned out of plane by interfaces, all could make SOT PMA MTJs more susceptible to damage at high doses.

AB - We study the impact of irradiation on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching using magneto-optical Kerr effect and transmission electron microscopy. Our results show that the thin-film stack is robust to gamma ionizing dose up to 1 Mrad(Si) and Ta1+ ion irradiation fluences up to 1012 ions/cm2, showing SOT PMA MTJs are radiation-hard. But, at very high Ta1+ ion irradiation between 1012 and 1014 ions/cm2, reduced coercivity and eventually greatly reduced PMA are observed, corresponding with an increase in intermixing of the CoFeB-MgO layers, particularly at the lower CoFeB-MgO interface. These results agree with displacement damage modeling that predicts higher damage in the layers closer to the bottom heavy metal and substrate. Compared to spin transfer torque and in-plane anisotropy MTJs, needing a top-pinned stack, a thicker heavy metal layer, and perpendicular anisotropy that is pinned out of plane by interfaces, all could make SOT PMA MTJs more susceptible to damage at high doses.

KW - Gamma-ray effects

KW - ion irradiation effects

KW - magnetic domain

KW - magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)

KW - perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA)

KW - spin-orbit torque (SOT)

KW - transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

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Irradiation Effects on Perpendicular Anisotropy Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

Abstract

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