Low Gilbert Damping Constant in Perpendicularly Magnetized W/CoFeB/MgO Films with High Thermal Stability

Abstract

Perpendicular magnetic materials with low damping constant and high thermal stability have great potential for realizing high-density, non-volatile, and low-power consumption spintronic devices, which can sustain operation reliability for high processing temperatures. In this work, we study the Gilbert damping constant ({\alpha}) of perpendicularly magnetized W/CoFeB/MgO films with a high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and superb thermal stability. The {\alpha} of these PMA films annealed at different temperatures is determined via an all-optical Time-Resolved Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect method. We find that {\alpha} of these W/CoFeB/MgO PMA films decreases with increasing annealing temperature, reaches a minimum of {\alpha} = 0.016 at an annealing temperature of 350 {\deg}C, and then increases to 0.024 after post-annealing at 400 {\deg}C. The minimum {\alpha} observed at 350 {\deg}C is rationalized by two competing effects as the annealing temperature becomes higher: the enhanced crystallization of CoFeB and dead-layer growth occurring at the two interfaces of the CoFeB layer. We further demonstrate that {\alpha} of the 400 {\deg}C-annealed W/CoFeB/MgO film is comparable to that of a reference Ta/CoFeB/MgO PMA film annealed at 300 {\deg}C, justifying the enhanced thermal stability of the W-seeded CoFeB films.