Effect of capping layer on the crystallization of amorphous CoFeB

We investigated the effects of capping layer on the crystallization of amorphous top‐CoFeB electrode in the glass/CoFeB/MgO(001)/CoFeB/cap stack. Evolution of texture and crystallization of the top‐CoFeB electrode can be affected by the texture and the crystallinity of the capping layer. When the (002)‐textured Ru capping layer was used, a (110) texture of CoFeB was developed during annealing at 350 °C for 90 min. On the other hand, when the amorphous TiAl capping layer was used, a (002) texture of the CoFeB was developed during crystallization due to MgO (001) texture seeding effect. Consequently, the texture evolution of the amorphous top‐CoFeB electrode during annealing could be controlled by the texture and crystallinity of the adjacent capping layer. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)