Library Item
A study of the effect of iron island morphology and interface oxidation on the magnetic hysteresis of Fe-MgO (001) thin film composites
Description:
Fe-MgO tunnel junctions have received much attention for their use in hard drive read heads and other spintronic applications. The system is particularly interesting because of its magnetoresistive behavior and the abundance and low cost of its constituent elements. However, many questions remain about how the structure and chemistry of the Fe-MgO interface mediates magnetic behavior. In this study, we report on transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and magnetic characterization of Fe-MgO composite films with various morphologies. We explore relationships between film morphology, intermixing, and the resulting effects on magnetic structure. We find the presence of oxidation at the Fe-MgO interface, with a detrimental impact on the saturation magnetization of the composite. We also observe changes in coercivity and magnetocrystalline anisotropy with film morphology and thickness. These results will inform the design of MgO-based tunnel junctions and improve our understanding of how processing conditions, resulting in morphological and chemical changes such as oxidation, affect magnetization.
