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Electromigration Reliability Study of a GMR Spin Valve Device

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

S. Shingubara,
Y. Takeda,
H. Sakue,
T. Takahagi and
A. H. Verbruggen
S. Shingubara
Affiliation:
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1–4–1,Higashi-hiroshima 739–8527, JAPAN, shingu@ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Y. Takeda
Affiliation:
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1–4–1,Higashi-hiroshima 739–8527, JAPAN, shingu@ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
H. Sakue
Affiliation:
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1–4–1,Higashi-hiroshima 739–8527, JAPAN, shingu@ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
T. Takahagi
Affiliation:
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1–4–1,Higashi-hiroshima 739–8527, JAPAN, shingu@ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
A. H. Verbruggen
Affiliation:
DIMES, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
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Abstract

Electromigration reliability of a GMR spin valve device has been investigated at elevated temperatures at various DC current densities. Significant degradation of the magnetoresistance was observed when the current density was higher than 20 MA/cm2. Either the electromigration induced damage or the rotation of the magnetization vector of the Mnlr anti-ferromagnetic layer are possible mechanisms of degradation. Furthermore, significant voiding caused by electromigration and thermal gradient induced atomic motion was observed at current densities higher than 35 MA/cm2. High-resolution temperature distribution measurements by scanning thermal probe microscopy revealed the existence of a huge temperature gradient of 106°C/cm, which is a strong driving force for atomic diffusion.

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