Structural Properties of Co and CoFe Electrodes Forming a Magnetic Tunnel Junction

The M$\text{}_{1}$/MgO/M$\text{}_{2}$ trilayer tunnel magnetoresistance systems are studied by means of X-ray diffraction, NMR, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. As M$\text{}_{1}$ and M$\text{}_{2}$ electrodes we used Co, Fe, and CoFe layers. The growth mechanism and structural quality of both electrodes and of the epitaxial MgO barrier forming the magnetic tunnel junctions are experimentally examined. It is shown that the crystallographic coherence of magnetic tunnel junctions across the MgO barrier is significantly disturbed by imperfect crystal structure of magnetic electrodes. The NMR results indicate a difference in short-range order between bottom and top electrodes.