Abstract
Electroplated nickel nanojunctions (NJs) showing ballistic magnetoresistance up to 100 000% could be the potential workhorse to drive the next generation of magnetic storage beyond one trillion bits per square inch. Understanding the mechanism of this kind of device is extremely important for both academia and industry. In this paper, the detailed oxidation process and the structures of junctions after deposition are analyzed. Depending on the details of structures within the junction, a device of this kind can work as a multibarrier tunneling magnetoresistance (MB-TMR) device, Coulomb blockade enhanced MB-TMR, or even a spin-dependent atomiclike quantum dot. In terms of device fabrication, better control of the oxidation after plating is crucial.
- Received 22 October 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.69.132405
©2004 American Physical Society