Tailoring magnetic properties of CoFeB films via tungsten buffer and capping layers

Abstract

Controlling the interface between W and CoFeB-based buffer or capping layers at an appropriate temperature is essential for modifying the strength of magnetic anisotropy. In this work, we systematically explore the impact of W buffer and capping layers on the structural, topological, and magnetic anisotropy properties of W (5 nm)/CoFeB(10 nm) and CoFeB(10 nm)/W(3 nm) bilayers sputtered at room temperature (RT) and annealed at an optimal annealing temperature (TA) of 400 C. Our findings demonstrate that the bilayer films uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA) with out-of-plane coercivity (Hcp) is highly influenced by the W buffer, capping layers, and TA. Specifically, the Hcp of the CoFeB layer with the buffer and capping layers annealed at 400 C samples exceed several times the coercivity of those unannealed. CoFeB buffered with W and annealed at 400 C shows larger Hcp, two-fold UMA, and higher in-plane UMA energy density (Keff) than the CoFeB/W bilayers, which can be attributed to the W buffer layer inducing the crystallization of CoFeB during annealing. The W buffer, capping layers, and the TA for W and CoFeB-based bilayer samples significantly alter the surface morphology, grain sizes, and surface roughness. The XRD analysis reveals nano-crystallites embedded in the larger grains of the 400 C annealed samples. Hence, this work offers a promising approach to achieving high thermal stability of UMA in W and CoFeB-based spintronic applications.