National Institute for Materials Science

Masaya Kodzuka

Kazuhiro Hono

Takao Furubayashi

Hiroaki Sukegawa

Seiji Mitani

Tomoya Nakatani

Yukiko Takahashi

Koichiro Inomata

Masamitsu Hayashi

Wenhong Wang

Sinha Jaivardhan

Rong Shan

Provided are an element structure in which a magnetic layer has a high magnetic anisotropy constant and saturated magnetization properties in a thickness of 1.5 nm or less, and a magnetic device that uses the element structure. A BCC metal nitride/CoFeB/MgO film structure that uses a nitride of a BCC metal as a seed layer is fabricated. The nitride amount in the BCC metal nitride is preferably less than 60% in terms of volume ratio based on 100% BCC metal. It is thereby possible to readily obtain a perpendicularly magnetized film having the magnetic properties that the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is 0.1&#xd7;10erg/cmor more and the saturated magnetization is 200 emu/cmor more, even when the thickness of the magnetic layer is 0.3 nm or more and 1.5 nm or less.

Perpendicularly magnetized ultrathin film exhibiting high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, method for manufacturing same, and application

Disclosed is a ferromagnetic tunnel junction structure which is characterized by having a tunnel barrier layer that comprises a non-magnetic material having a spinel structure. The ferromagnetic tunnel junction structure is also characterized in that the non-magnetic material is substantially MgAlO. The ferromagnetic tunnel junction is also characterized in that at least one of the ferromagnetic layers comprises a Co-based full Heusler alloy having an L2or B2 structure. The ferromagnetic tunnel junction structure is also characterized in that the Co-based full Heusler alloy comprises a substance represented by the following formula: CoFeAlSi(0&#x2266;x&#x2266;1). Also disclosed are a magnetoresistive element and a spintronics device, each of which utilizes the ferromagnetic tunnel junction structure and can achieve a high TMR value, that cannot be achieved by employing conventional tunnel barrier layers other than a MgO barrier.

Ferromagnetic tunnel junction structure, and magneto-resistive element and spintronics device each using same

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Ibaraki, Japan

Masaya Kodzuka