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Improvement of the Spin Transfer Induced Switching Effect by Copper and Ruthenium Buffer Layer
Journal of Magnetics, Volume 10, Number 2, 30 Jun 2005, Pages 48-51
Abstract
The spin transfer induced magnetization switching has been reported to occur in magnetic multilayer structures whose scope usually consists of one stack of ferromagnetic / non-ferromagnetic / ferromagnetic (F / N / F) materials. In this work, it is shown that: 1) Copper used as a buffer layer between the free Co and the Au cap-layer can clearly increase the probability to get the spin transfer induced magnetization switching in a simple spin valve Co 11 / Cu 6/ Co 2 (nm); 2) Furthermore, when Ruthenium is simultaneously applied as a buffer layer on the Si-substrate, the critical switching currents can be reduced by 30%. and the absolute resistance change delta R[ΔR] of that stack can be enlarged by 35%. The enhancement of the spin transfer induced magnetization switching can be ascribed to a lower local stress in the thin Co layer caused by a better lattice match between Co and Cu and the smoothening effect of Ru on the thick Co layer.
Keywords: Spin transfer; Magnetoresistance-based spintronic devices; nano-scaled magnetic multilayers; Cu and/or Ru buffer layer
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