Thermal annealing and magnetic anisotropy of NiFe thin films on n⁺-Si for spintronic device applications

To ensure that the magnetic metal electrodes can meet the requirements of the spin injection, NiFe films prepared both on HfO₂ dielectric layer and n⁺-Si directly by sputtering deposition, and treated by conventional furnace annealing and/or high vacuum magnetic field annealing were investigated. It was found that thermal annealing at 250 °C improved the crystalline quality and reduced surface roughness of the NiFe films, thus enhancing its saturation magnetization intensity. The 100 nm thick NiFe films had too large coercive force and saturation magnetization intensity in vertical direction to meet the requirements of Hanle curve detection. While, 30 nm thick NiFe films showed paramagnetic hysteresis loops in vertical direction, and the magnetization intensity of the sample after annealing at 250 °C for 30 min was less than 2% to the parallel when the external magnetic field was given between ±10 Oe. This was preferred to Hanle curve detection. The thin HfO₂ dielectric layer between metal and Si partially suppressed the diffusion of Ni in NiFe into Si substrate and formation of NiSi, greatly enhancing the saturation magnetization intensity of the Al/NiFe/HfO₂/Si sample by thermal annealing. Those results suggest that Al/NiFe/HfO₂/Si structure, from the point view of magnetic electrodes, would be suitable for spin injection and detection applications. - Highlights: • The saturation magnetization intensity of NiFe thin-film was enhanced by thermal annealing. • A paramagnetic hysteresis loop of NiFe thin-film was observed in vertical direction. • The thin HfO₂ dielectric layer between NiFe and Si partially suppressed the diffusion of Ni into Si