a b s t r a c tTemperature-and bias voltage-dependent transport measurements of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with perpendicularly magnetized Co/Pd electrodes are presented. Magnetization measurements of the Co/Pd multilayers are performed to characterize the electrodes. The effects of the Co layer thickness in the Co/Pd bilayers, the annealing temperature, the Co thickness at the MgO barrier interface, and the number of bilayers on the tunneling magneto resistance (TMR) effect are investigated. TMR-ratios of about 11% at room temperature and 18.5% at 13 K are measured and two well-defined switching fields are observed. The results are compared to measurements of MTJs with Co-Fe-B electrodes and in-plane anisotropy.

Magnetic tunnel junctions were prepared with the Heusler compounds Co2FeAl, Co2FeSi, and Co2MnSi as the soft magnetic electrode. The Co2MnSi electrodes had a multilayer design that used either the Co2FeAl or the Co2FeSi compound as a buffer material. Pinned Co-Fe was used as the hard reference electrode. The electronic transport characteristics were analyzed by tunneling spectroscopy. The dependence of sample properties on the buffer material was of interest, especially the gap in the minority density of states of the Heusler electrode. The temperature dependence of the transport properties was also investigated.

Temperature-dependent transport measurements of magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicularly magnetized Co/Pt electrodes are presented. Magnetization measurements of the Co/Pt multilayers are performed to characterize the electrodes. The interface magnetization of the Co layers at the Pt interface is estimated in dependence of the annealing temperature. The effect of the annealing temperature on the tunneling magnetoresistance effect of the magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is investigated. Tunneling magnetoresistance ratios of about 19% at room temperature are attained and two well-defined switching fields are observed. The tunneling magnetoresistance of Co/Pt based tunnel junctions changes by a factor of 1.9 if cooled to 13 K. The results are compared to measurements of MTJs with Co-Fe-B electrodes and in-plane anisotropy.

The bulk magnetic moment and the element specific magnetic moment of Co 2 FeAl thin films were examined as a function of annealing temperature by alternating gradient magnetometer (AGM) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) / X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), respectively. A high magnetic moment can be achieved for all annealing temperatures and the predicted bulk and interface magnetic moment of about 5µ B are reached via heating. We will also present tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) values of up to 153% at room temperature and 260% at 13 K for MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with Co 2 FeAl and Co-Fe electrodes. magnetic films, magnetoresistance, thin films, x-ray spectroscopy