{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T20:22:14Z","timestamp":1770841334814,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"AIP Publishing","issue":"7","content-domain":{"domain":["pubs.aip.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>In this study, we focus on how the formation and enlargement of metallic pinholes in MgO barriers (induced by large electrical currents) affect the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) of low and high resistance (R) magnetic tunnel junctions. The junctions were deposited by physical vapor deposition with barrier thicknesses of either 0.75 or 1.35 nm. For the parallel state, temperature-dependent R(T) measurements readily revealed a metallic conductance in the low-R sample, indicating that pinholes are already present in its thin barrier; a slight R(T) decrease with increasing temperature is observed for the high-R junction. After applying large current pulses to the low-R sample, we observe that the initially small R-decrease (\u223c6%) is accompanied by a significant TMR increase (\u223c20% at 20 K). Higher applied electrical currents continue to decrease R, leading to a gradual but steady TMR decrease. In contrast, the high-R sample exhibits a sharp and immediate decrease in TMR as soon as the first pinhole is formed. The origin of these effects will be discussed in terms of a thermally induced improvement of the barrier\/electrode interfaces and the possibility of a magnetoresistance mechanism occurring through the metallic pinholes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1063\/1.3236512","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,10,8]],"date-time":"2009-10-08T23:55:00Z","timestamp":1255046100000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1063\/aip-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["The effect of pinhole formation\/growth on the tunnel magnetoresistance of MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions"],"prefix":"10.1063","volume":"106","author":[{"given":"J. M.","family":"Teixeira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade do Porto 1 IFIMUP and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Departamento de Fisica, Faculdade de Ciencias, , Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"J.","family":"Ventura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade do Porto 1 IFIMUP and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Departamento de Fisica, Faculdade de Ciencias, , Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"F.","family":"Carpinteiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade do Porto 1 IFIMUP and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Departamento de Fisica, Faculdade de Ciencias, , Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"J. P.","family":"Araujo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade do Porto 1 IFIMUP and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Departamento de Fisica, Faculdade de Ciencias, , Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"J. B.","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade do Porto 1 IFIMUP and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Departamento de Fisica, Faculdade de Ciencias, , Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"P.","family":"Wisniowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"INESC-MN and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2 , Rua Alves Redol, 9-1, 1000-029 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"AGH University of Science and Technology 3 Department of Electronics, , 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}]},{"given":"P. P.","family":"Freitas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"INESC-MN and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2 , Rua Alves Redol, 9-1, 1000-029 Lisbon, Portugal"}]}],"member":"317","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2009,10,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"2023073023571748900_c1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"862","DOI":"10.1038\/nmat1256","volume":"3","year":"2004","journal-title":"Nature Mater."},{"key":"2023073023571748900_c2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"868","DOI":"10.1038\/nmat1257","volume":"3","year":"2004","journal-title":"Nature Mater."},{"key":"2023073023571748900_c3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"R337","DOI":"10.1088\/0022-3727\/40\/21\/R01","volume":"40","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys."},{"key":"2023073023571748900_c4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"082508","DOI":"10.1063\/1.2976435","volume":"93","year":"2008","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. 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