Analytical electron microscopy study of growth mechanism for smoothing of metallic multilayer thin films

O. Ozatay; K. A. Mkhoyan; M. G. Thomas; G. D. Fuchs; J. Silcox; R. A. Buhrman

doi:10.1063/1.2358958

Analytical electron microscopy study of growth mechanism for smoothing of metallic multilayer thin films

O. Ozatay, K. A. Mkhoyan, M. G. Thomas, G. D. Fuchs, J. Silcox, R. A. Buhrman

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

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Abstract

We have used scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy techniques to study the nature of interfacial interactions in a TaCu Ox stack that give rise to a smooth surface morphology, which can be utilized for seeding thin magnetic multilayer devices. Our measurements reveal that the interfacial smoothing is mainly due to the preferential reaction of Ta with O at the TaCu Ox interface assisted by grain boundary diffusion of oxygen which thereby acts to smooth out the surface roughness created by the large crystalline grains of Cu.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	162509
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	89
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2358958
State	Published - 2006

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation through the NSEC program support of the Center for Nanoscale Systems and through its MRSEC program support of the Cornell Center for Materials Research.

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title = "Analytical electron microscopy study of growth mechanism for smoothing of metallic multilayer thin films",

abstract = "We have used scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy techniques to study the nature of interfacial interactions in a TaCu Ox stack that give rise to a smooth surface morphology, which can be utilized for seeding thin magnetic multilayer devices. Our measurements reveal that the interfacial smoothing is mainly due to the preferential reaction of Ta with O at the TaCu Ox interface assisted by grain boundary diffusion of oxygen which thereby acts to smooth out the surface roughness created by the large crystalline grains of Cu.",

author = "O. Ozatay and Mkhoyan, {K. A.} and Thomas, {M. G.} and Fuchs, {G. D.} and J. Silcox and Buhrman, {R. A.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the National Science Foundation through the NSEC program support of the Center for Nanoscale Systems and through its MRSEC program support of the Cornell Center for Materials Research.",

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language = "English (US)",

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AU - Ozatay, O.

AU - Mkhoyan, K. A.

AU - Thomas, M. G.

AU - Fuchs, G. D.

AU - Silcox, J.

AU - Buhrman, R. A.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by the National Science Foundation through the NSEC program support of the Center for Nanoscale Systems and through its MRSEC program support of the Cornell Center for Materials Research.

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - We have used scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy techniques to study the nature of interfacial interactions in a TaCu Ox stack that give rise to a smooth surface morphology, which can be utilized for seeding thin magnetic multilayer devices. Our measurements reveal that the interfacial smoothing is mainly due to the preferential reaction of Ta with O at the TaCu Ox interface assisted by grain boundary diffusion of oxygen which thereby acts to smooth out the surface roughness created by the large crystalline grains of Cu.

AB - We have used scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy techniques to study the nature of interfacial interactions in a TaCu Ox stack that give rise to a smooth surface morphology, which can be utilized for seeding thin magnetic multilayer devices. Our measurements reveal that the interfacial smoothing is mainly due to the preferential reaction of Ta with O at the TaCu Ox interface assisted by grain boundary diffusion of oxygen which thereby acts to smooth out the surface roughness created by the large crystalline grains of Cu.

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Analytical electron microscopy study of growth mechanism for smoothing of metallic multilayer thin films

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