  The authors studied an effect of ferromagnetic (Co20Fe60B20 or Fe) layer
insertion on tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) properties of MgO-barrier magnetic
tunnel junctions (MTJs) with CoFe/Pd multilayer electrodes. TMR ratio in MTJs
with CoFeB/MgO/Fe stack reached 67% at an-nealing temperature (Ta) of 200
degree C and then decreased rapidly at Ta over 250 degree C. The degradation of
the TMR ratio may be related to crystallization of CoFe(B) into fcc(111) or
bcc(011) texture result-ing from diffusion of B into Pd layers. MTJs which were
in-situ annealed at 350oC just after depo-siting bottom CoFe/Pd multilayer
showed TMR ratio of 78% by post annealing at Ta =200 degree C.
