Preparation of Ta-O-Based Tunnel Junctions to Obtain Artificial Synapses Based on Memristive Switching

Magnetron sputtering and optical lithography are standard techniques to prepare magnetic tunnel junctions with lateral dimensions in the micrometer range. Here we present the materials and techniques to deposit the layer stacks, define the structures, and etch the devices. In the end, we obtain tunnel junction devices exhibiting memristive switching for potential use as artificial synapses.