Large Exchange Coupling in Synthetic Antiferromagnet With Ultrathin Seed Layer

Insertion of an ultrathin (les6 Aring) Ta-seed layer into the bottom NiFe layer of a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) grown on the AlO and MgO barriers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) significantly increased the crystal orientation of the SAF. This led to improvements of the strength and thermal robustness of the antiferromagnetic coupling (AFC) in the SAF. The magnetic properties of the films and MTJs using the SAFs were investigated. A low anisotropy field with a large AFC of the Ta-seed SAF reduced the writing field of toggle MRAMs