What is it about?
Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), especially those with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), are the cornerstone of spin-electronics (or spintronics) devices, anticipated to revolutionize future memory and logic circuits with their fast speed, low power consumption, and infinite endurance. The L10-phase iron-palladium (FePd) alloy is a promising MTJ material candidate, owing to its robust crystalline PMA and low magnetic damping. Crucially, MTJs based on L10-FePd are expected to achieve sub-5 nm scalability and feature ultralow switching energy. In our study, we fabricated L10-FePd MTJs, successfully achieving a 1.6x enhancement in tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR, a pivotal performance metric for MTJs) improving from 25% to 65%, alongside an ultralow switching current density.
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Why is it important?
Compared to the previous TMR of only 25%, our result of 65% significantly enhances the read performance of L10-FePd MTJs. The observed ultralow switching current density of 1.4x10^5 A/cm^2 represents a reduction by approximately one order of magnitude compared to mainstream spin-transfer torque MTJs, marking an energy-efficient write performance. The outstanding performance achieved in this study marks an important step towards the practical application of L10-FePd MTJs, potentially catalyzing the development of next-generation memory and logic technologies.
Perspectives
I am profoundly honored to collaborate with an exceptional team led by Prof. Jian-Ping Wang at the University of Minnesota, Prof. Weigang Wang at the University of Arizona, and Dr. Daniel B. Gopman at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Our collective effort has significantly enhanced the read performance of spintronics devices with advanced scalability. Remarkably, our findings also reveal an energy-efficient write performance, likely due to a novel switching mechanism. I am optimistic that the vast application potential unveiled by our research will inspire not only the academic community but also industry leaders to deepen their investment in spintronics technology. Such engagement could propel advancements in the realms of IoT, AI, and other pivotal information technologies, heralding substantial benefits for this digital age.
Deyuan Lyu
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: L10 FePd-based perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with 65% tunnel magnetoresistance and ultralow switching current density, AIP Advances, February 2024, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/9.0000818.
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