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Abstract:
Titanium nitride (TiN) shows low resistivity at room temperature (27 mu
Omega cm), high thermal stability and thus has the potential to serve as
seed layer in magnetic tunnel junctions. High quality TiN thin films
with regard to the crystallographic and electrical properties were grown
and characterized by x-ray diffraction and 4-terminal transport
measurements. Element specific x-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed
pure TiN inside the thin films. To investigate the influence of a TiN
seed layer on a ferro(i)magnetic bottom electrode in magnetic tunnel
junctions, an out-of-plane magnetized Mn2.45Ga as well as in- and
out-of-plane magnetized Co2FeAl thin films were deposited on a TiN
buffer, respectively. The magnetic properties were investigated using a
superconducting quantum interference device and anomalous Hall effect
for Mn2.45Ga. Magneto optical Kerr effect measurements were carried out
to investigate the magnetic properties of Co2FeAl. TiN buffered Mn2.45Ga
thin films showed higher coercivity and squareness ratio compared to
unbuffered samples. The Heusler compound Co2FeAl showed already good
crystallinity when grown at room temperature on a TiN seed-layer. (C)
2015 AIP Publishing LLC.
