Improved tunnel magnetoresistance of magnetic tunnel junctions with Heusler Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 electrodes fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy

The authors have developed a magnetic tunnel junction of Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 electrodes and a MgO barrier fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy and observed that this device had a tunnel magnetoresistance ratio of 386% at approximately 300 K and 832% at 9 K. The lower Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 electrode was annealed during and after deposition resulting in a highly ordered structure with small roughness. This highly ordered structure could be obtained by annealing treatment even at low temperatures. Furthermore, a weak temperature dependence of the tunnel magnetoresistance ratio was observed for the developed magnetic tunnel junction.