Enhancement of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and transmission of spin-Hall-effect-induced spin currents by a Hf spacer layer in W/Hf/CoFeB/MgO layer structures
Abstract
We report that strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the ferromagnetic layer in a W/CoFeB/MgO multilayer structure can be established by inserting a Hf layer as thin as 0.25 nm between the W and CoFeB layers. The Hf spacer also allows transmission of spin currents generated by an in-plane charge current in the W layer to apply strong spin torque on the CoFeB, thereby enabling current-driven magnetic switching. The antidamping-like and field-like components of the spin torque exerted on a 1 nm CoFeB layer are of comparable magnitudes in this geometry. Both components originate from the spin Hall effect in the underlying W layer. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.
Date Published
Journal
AIP Publishing
Volume
104
Issue
8
URL
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84896769857&doi=10.1063%2f1.4866965&partnerID=40&md5=17c424cea7de7e3495e618ad08e993e7
DOI
10.1063/1.4866965