Abstract
We report on a thorough experimental investigation of the influence of an FeO layer at the Fe/MgO interface on the magnetotransport properties in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe(001) magnetic tunnel junctions. Interfacial oxygen is introduced by adsorbing on the bottom Fe(001) layer. The morphology and composition of the FeO film are investigated by means of scanning tunneling microscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and x-ray photoelectrons spectroscopy. We show that the amount of interfacial oxygen can be precisely tuned and that either ordered or disordered FeO layers can be grown. Both Fe-O bonding and interfacial disorder strongly alter the conductances of junctions. However, the tunnel magnetoresistance remains large even for large oxygen exposure. Interfacial Fe-O bonds are found to lower the parallel conductance in agreement with theoretical predictions.
5 More- Received 19 December 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.79.224405
©2009 American Physical Society