Ru Catalyst-Induced Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in MgO/CoFeB/Ta/MgO Multilayered Films

The high oxygen storage/release capability of the catalyst Ru is used to manipulate the interfacial electronic structure in spintronic materials to obtain perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Insertion of an ultrathin Ru layer between the CoFeB and Ta layers in MgO/CoFeB/Ta/MgO films effectively induces PMA without annealing. Ru plays a catalytic role in Fe–O–Ta bonding and isolation at the metal–oxide interface to achieve moderate interface oxidation. In contrast, PMA cannot be obtained in the sample with a Mg insertion layer or without an insertion layer because of the lack of a catalyst. Our work would provide a new approach toward catalyst-induced PMA for future CoFeB-based spintronic device applications.