Influence of face-centered-cubic texturing of Co sub(2)Fe sub(6)B sub(2) pinned layer on tunneling magnetoresistance ratio decrease in Co sub(2)Fe sub(6)B sub(2) /MgO-based p-MTJ spin valves stacked with a [Co/Pd] sub(n)-SyAF layer

The TMR ratio of Co sub(2)Fe sub(6)B sub(2)/MgO-based p-MTJ spin valves stacked with a [Co/Pd] sub(n)-SyAF layer decreased rapidly when the ex situ magnetic annealing temperature (Tex) was increased from 275 to 325 [degrees]C, and this decrease was associated with degradation of the Co sub(2)Fe sub(6)B sub(2) pinned layer rather than the Co sub(2)Fe sub(6)B sub(2) free layer. At a T sub(ex) above 325 [degrees]C the amorphous Co sub(2)Fe sub(6)B sub(2) pinned layer was transformed into a face-centered-cubic (fcc) crystalline layer textured from [Co/Pd] sub(n)-SyAF, abruptly reducing the Delta sub(l) coherence tunneling of perpendicular-spin-torque electrons between the (100) MgO tunneling barrier and the fcc Co sub(2)Fe sub(6)B sub(2) pinned layer.