Method and system for providing a magnetoresistive structure

A magnetoresistive structure comprising:

• a first electrode, the first electrode including at least a first magnetic material and boron, the first electrode having a first surface having a first surface roughness;
• an insertion layer consisting of at least one of CoFeTa and CoFeZr and having a thickness of at least two Angstroms and not more than fifteen Angstroms, the insertion layer adjoining the first surface of the first electrode and having a second surface opposite to the first electrode;
• a crystalline tunneling barrier layer including MgO, the insertion layer residing between the crystalline tunneling barrier layer and the first electrode;
• and
• a second electrode, the second electrode including at least a second magnetic material;
• wherein the insertion layer configured to prevent diffusion of boron from the first electrode to the crystalline tunneling barrier layer at an anneal having a temperature of at least one hundred degrees centigrade and such that the second surface of the insertion layer has a second surface roughness substantially the same as the first surface roughness, the second surface having the second surface roughness forming a growth surface for the crystalline tunneling barrier layer.

A method for providing magnetoresistive structure comprising:

• providing a first electrode, the first electrode including at least a first magnetic material and boron, the first electrode having a first surface having a first surface roughness;
• providing an insertion layer having a first boron affinity on the first electrode, the insertion layer adjoining the first surface of the electrode and having a second surface opposite to the first electrode, the insertion layer having a thickness of at least two Angstroms and not more than fifteen Angstroms, the insertion layer being a ternary alloy selected from the group consisting of CoFeTa and CoFeZr;
• providing a crystalline tunneling barrier layer on the insertion layer, the crystalline tunneling barrier layer including at least one constituent, the at least one constituent having at least a second boron affinity, the at least the second boron affinity being less than the first boron affinity;
• providing a second electrode on the crystalline tunneling barrier layer, the second electrode including at least a second magnetic material;
• and
• performing an anneal at a temperature of at least one hundred degrees centigrade;
• the insertion layer configured to prevent diffusion of boron from the first electrode to the crystalline tunneling barrier layer at the anneal and such that the second surface of the insertion layer has a second surface roughness substantially equal to the first surface roughness, the second surface having the second surface roughness forming a growth surface for the crystalline tunneling barrier layer.

A method for providing magnetoresistive structure comprising:

• providing a first electrode including CoFeB, the first electrode having a first surface having a first surface roughness;
• providing an insertion layer consisting of at least one of CoFeTa and CoFeZr and having a thickness of at least three Angstroms and not more than seven Angstroms, the insertion layer adjoining the first surface of the first electrode and having a second surface opposite to the first electrode;
• providing a crystalline tunneling barrier layer including MgO, the insertion layer residing between the crystalline tunneling barrier layer and the first electrode;
• and providing a second electrode, the second electrode including at least a second magnetic material;
• performing an anneal at a temperature of at least two hundred degrees centigrade and not more than three hundred sixty degrees centigrade;
• wherein the insertion layer configured to prevent diffusion of boron from the first electrode to the crystalline tunneling barrier layer at an anneal having a temperature of at least one hundred degrees centigrade and such that the second surface of the insertion layer has a second surface roughness substantially the same as the first surface roughness, the second surface having the second surface roughness forming a growth surface for the crystalline tunneling barrier layer.