Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in ultra-thin Cu$_2$Sb-type (Mn-Cr)AlGe films onto thermally oxidized silicon substrates

Abstract

Perpendicularly magnetized films showing small saturation magnetization, $M_\mathrm{s}$, are essential for spin-transfer-torque writing type magnetoresistive random access memories, STT-MRAMs. An intermetallic compound, {(Mn-Cr)AlGe} of the Cu$_2$Sb-type crystal structure was investigated, in this study, as a material showing the low $M_\mathrm{s}$ ($\sim 300$ kA/m) and high-perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, $K_\mathrm{u}$. The layer thickness dependence of $K_\mathrm{u}$ and effects of Mg-insertion layers at top and bottom (Mn-Cr)AlGe$|$MgO interfaces were studied in film samples fabricated onto thermally oxidized silicon substrates to realize high-$K_\mathrm{u}$ in the thickness range of a few nanometer. Optimum Mg-insertion thicknesses were 1.4 and 3.0 nm for the bottom and the top interfaces, respectively, which were relatively thick compared to results in similar insertion effect investigations on magnetic tunnel junctions reported in previous studies. The cross-sectional transmission electron microscope images revealed that the Mg-insertion layers acted as barriers to interdiffusion of Al-atoms as well as oxidization from the MgO layers. The values of $K_\mathrm{u}$ were about $7 \times 10^5$ and $2 \times 10^5$ J/m$^3$ at room temperature for 5 and 3 nm-thick (Mn-Cr)AlGe films, respectively, with the optimum Mg-insertion thicknesses. The $K_\mathrm{u}$ at a few nanometer thicknesses is comparable or higher than those reported in perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB films which are conventionally used in MRAMs, while the $M_\mathrm{s}$ value is one third or less smaller than those of the CoFeB films. The developed (Mn-Cr)AlGe films are promising from the viewpoint of not only the magnetic properties, but also the compatibility to the silicon process in the film fabrication.