Magnetoresistive sensors with hybrid Co/insulator/ZnO:Co junctions  

作　　者：Guang Chen Cheng Song Feng Pan 

机构地区：[1]Laboratory of Advanced Materials,Department of Materials Science and Engineering,Tsinghua University

出　　处：《International Journal of Minerals,Metallurgy and Materials》2013年第2期160-165,共6页矿物冶金与材料学报（英文版）

基　　金：supports by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.51202125 and 51231004);the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2010CB832905)

摘　　要：Magnetic tunnel junctions （MTJs）, as the seminal spintronic devices, are expected for applications in magne- toresistive sensors due to their large magnetoresistance （MR） and high field sensitivity. Two hybrid Co/insulator/ZnO：Co junctions were fabricated with two different barriers to investigate the magneto-transport properties. Experimental results indicate that, both Co/MgO/ZnO：Co and Co/ZnO/ZnO：Co junctions show the positive and nearly linear MR, and their tunnel magnetoresistances （TMR） are 21.8% and 13.6%, respectively, when the current is applied perpendicular to the film plane under the magnetic field of 2 T at 4 K. The nonlinearity of MR is less than 1% within the magnetic field （H） of 1 kOe 〈 H 〈 12 kOe at low temperature, making them attractive as magnetoresistive sensors. The higher MR of Co/MgO/ZnO：Co junctions is due to the superior spin filtering effect and larger effective barrier height of the MgO barrier. This linear MR characteristic of Co/insulator/ZnO：Co structures shows a promising future on the applications of diluted magnetic semiconductors in magnetoresistive sensors.Magnetic tunnel junctions （MTJs）, as the seminal spintronic devices, are expected for applications in magne- toresistive sensors due to their large magnetoresistance （MR） and high field sensitivity. Two hybrid Co/insulator/ZnO：Co junctions were fabricated with two different barriers to investigate the magneto-transport properties. Experimental results indicate that, both Co/MgO/ZnO：Co and Co/ZnO/ZnO：Co junctions show the positive and nearly linear MR, and their tunnel magnetoresistances （TMR） are 21.8% and 13.6%, respectively, when the current is applied perpendicular to the film plane under the magnetic field of 2 T at 4 K. The nonlinearity of MR is less than 1% within the magnetic field （H） of 1 kOe 〈 H 〈 12 kOe at low temperature, making them attractive as magnetoresistive sensors. The higher MR of Co/MgO/ZnO：Co junctions is due to the superior spin filtering effect and larger effective barrier height of the MgO barrier. This linear MR characteristic of Co/insulator/ZnO：Co structures shows a promising future on the applications of diluted magnetic semiconductors in magnetoresistive sensors.

关 键 词：MAGNETORESISTANCE sensors zinc oxide MAGNESIA cobalt doping magnetic semiconductors 

分 类 号：TP212.13[自动化与计算机技术—检测技术与自动化装置]