Interfacial interaction in Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunneling junctions

We present a study on interfacial structures and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in Fe/MgO/Fe junctions using a MgO(111) film with {100} facets. It is shown using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that a FeO layer occurs at MgO/Fe rather than Fe/MgO interface, which could be used to tune the TMR effect. At the Fe/MgO interface, such a change in electronic structure is attributed to the band bending associated with a change in thickness of Fe films. The present study provides a new understanding on the Fe/MgO/Fe interfacial behavior and metal/oxide barriers involving electron transport.