Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
428811100 | Having tunnel junction effect | 35 |
20090246557 | Low switching current dual spin filter (DSF) element for STT-RAM and a method for making the same - A dual spin filter that minimizes spin-transfer magnetization switching current (Jc) while achieving a high dR/R in STT-RAM devices is disclosed. The bottom spin valve has a MgO tunnel barrier layer formed with a natural oxidation process to achieve low RA, a CoFe/Ru/CoFeB—CoFe pinned layer, and a CoFeB/FeSiO/CoFeB composite free layer with a middle nanocurrent channel (NCC) layer to minimize Jc | 10-01-2009 |
20090269617 | Ultra low RA sensors - A high performance TMR sensor with a spacer including at least one Cu layer and one or more MgO layers is disclosed. Optionally, Cu may be replaced by one of Au, Zn, Ru, or Al. In addition, there may be a dopant such as Zn, Mn, Al, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ru, Mo, Nb, Co, or Fe in the MgO layer. In an alternative embodiment, the MgO layer may be replaced by other low band gap insulating or semiconductor materials. A resonant tunneling mechanism is believed to be responsible for achieving an ultra-low RA of <0.4 μohm-cm | 10-29-2009 |
20090269618 | MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT, MAGNETIC HEAD AND MAGNETIC RECORDING AND/OR REPRODUCING SYSTEM - There is provided a practical magnetoresistance effect element which has an appropriate value of resistance, which can be sensitized and which has a small number of magnetic layers to be controlled, and a magnetic head and magnetic recording and/or reproducing system using the same. In a magnetoresistance effect element wherein a sense current is caused to flow in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the film, a resistance regulating layer is provided in at least one of a pinned layer, a free layer and an non-magnetic intermediate layer. The resistance regulating layer contains, as a principal component, an oxide, a nitride, a fluoride, a carbide or a boride. The resistance regulating layer may be a continuous film or may have pin holes. Thus, it is possible to provide a practical magnetoresistance effect element which has an appropriate value of resistance, which can be sensitized and which has a small number of magnetic layers, while effectively utilizing the scattering effect depending on spin. | 10-29-2009 |
20100055501 | TUNNELING MAGNETIC SENSING ELEMENT - A tunneling magnetic sensing element includes a laminate in which a pinned magnetic layer having a magnetization direction pinned, an insulating barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer having a magnetization direction variable with an external magnetic field are laminated in order from below. The insulating barrier layer is made of Mg—O. The free magnetic layer has a soft magnetic layer and an enhanced layer disposed between the soft magnetic layer and the insulating barrier layer to have a spin polarization ratio higher than the soft magnetic layer. An insertion magnetic layer made of one selected from Co—Fe—B, Co—B, Fe—B, and Co—Fe is inserted into the soft magnetic layer in a direction parallel to the interface of each layer constituting the laminate, and the soft magnetic layer is divided into multiple layers in a thickness direction through the insertion magnetic layer. | 03-04-2010 |
20100178528 | TUNNEL MAGNETORESISTIVE THIN FILM AND MAGNETIC MULTILAYER FILM FORMATION APPARATUS - A tunnel magnetoresistive thin film which can simultaneously realize a high MR ratio and low magnetostriction is provided. | 07-15-2010 |
20100183902 | Magnetic memory devices and methods of manufacturing such magnetic memory devices - A magnetic memory device may include a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a tunnel barrier layer arranged on a substrate. The tunnel barrier layer may include a crystal structure and may be arranged between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. At least the first ferromagnetic layer may include a first layer in contact with the tunnel barrier layer and a second layer in contact with the first layer, and an orientation of the first layer with respect to the tunnel barrier layer may be greater than an orientation of the second layer with respect to the tunnel barrier layer. | 07-22-2010 |
20100247966 | Tunneling magneto-resistive spin valve sensor with novel composite free layer - The conventional free layer in a TMR read head has been replaced by a composite of two or more magnetic layers, one of which is iron rich The result is an improved device that has a higher MR ratio than prior art devices, while still maintaining free layer softness and acceptable magnetostriction. A process for manufacturing the device is also described. | 09-30-2010 |
20100255349 | MAGNETIC SENSING DEVICE INCLUDING A SENSE ENHANCING LAYER - A magnetic sensor includes a sensor stack having a first magnetic portion, a second magnetic portion, and a barrier layer between the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion. At least one of the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion includes a multilayer structure having a first magnetic layer having a positive magnetostriction adjacent to the barrier layer, a second magnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The magnetic sensor has an MR ratio of at least about 80% when the magnetic sensor has a resistance-area (RA) product of about 1.0 Ω·μm | 10-07-2010 |
20100297475 | SPIN VALVE ELEMENT - A spin valve element including an insulating layer or a nonmagnetic layer sandwiched by first and second ferromagnetic layers, and a porous layer having a plurality of minute holes placed in contact with one of the ferromagnetic layers, or near one of the ferromagnetic layer with another intervening layer therebetween. The first ferromagnetic layer is electrically connectable through the minute holes of the porous layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer is also electrically connectable. | 11-25-2010 |
20100304185 | Low resistance tunneling magnetoresistive sensor with natural oxidized double MgO barrier - A high performance TMR sensor is fabricated by incorporating a tunnel barrier having a Mg/MgO/Mg configuration. The 4 to 14 Angstroms thick lower Mg layer and 2 to 8 Angstroms thick upper Mg layer are deposited by a DC sputtering method while the MgO layer is formed by a NOX process involving oxygen pressure from 0.1 mTorr to 1 Torr for 15 to 300 seconds. NOX time and pressure may be varied to achieve a MR ratio of at least 34% and a RA value of 2.1 ohm-um | 12-02-2010 |
20100316890 | MAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION DEVICE WITH MAGNETIC FREE LAYER HAVING SANDWICH STRUCTURE - On the substrate ( | 12-16-2010 |
20110020668 | TMR SENSOR WITH A MULTILAYERED REFERENCE LAYER - According to one embodiment, a method for forming at least a portion of a magnetic head includes forming a keeper layer, forming a reference layer, and forming an AFM coupling layer which is positioned between the keeper layer and the reference layer. In addition, forming the reference layer includes forming a layer of CoFe, depositing a layer of CoFeHf which is about 20 atomic % Hf, and depositing a layer of CoFeB such that the layers of CoFeHf and CoFeB are directly adjacent and a ratio of respective physical thicknesses of CoFeHf to CoFeB is less than about 0.66. Other embodiments are also included such as a magnetic head and additional methods for forming at least a portion of a magnetic head. | 01-27-2011 |
20110081558 | Tunneling magnetoresistance read sensor with dual sense layers - A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) read sensor with a Co—Fe—B lower sense layer and a Co—Hf upper sense layer is disclosed. In order for the dual sense layers to exhibit a negative saturation magnetostriction (λ | 04-07-2011 |
20110183158 | CPP structure with enhanced GMR ratio - A CPP-GMR spin valve having a CoFe/NiFe composite free layer is disclosed in which Fe content of the CoFe layer ranges from 20 to 70 atomic % and Ni content in the NiFe layer varies from 85 to 100 atomic % to maintain low Hc and λ | 07-28-2011 |
20110268992 | TMR or CPP structure with improved exchange properties - An insertion layer is provided between an AFM layer and an AP2 pinned layer in a GMR or TMR element to improve exchange coupling properties by increasing Hex and the Hex/Hc ratio without degrading the MR ratio. The insertion layer may be a 1 to 15 Angstrom thick amorphous magnetic layer comprised of at least one element of Co, Fe, or Ni, and at least one element having an amorphous character selected from B, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Si, or P, or a 1 to 5 Angstrom thick non-magnetic layer comprised of Cu, Ru, Mn, Hf, or Cr. Preferably, the content of the one or more amorphous elements in the amorphous magnetic layer is less than 40 atomic %. Optionally, the insertion layer may be formed within the AP2 pinned layer. Examples of an insertion layer are CoFeB, CoFeZr, CoFeNb, CoFeHf, CoFeNiZr, CoFeNiHf, and CoFeNiNbZr. | 11-03-2011 |
20110318608 | TMR device with novel pinned layer - The invention discloses how the insertion of a layer of CoFeB serves to increase the robustness of an MTF device by smoothing the interface between the tunnel barrier and the pinned layer. | 12-29-2011 |
20120009440 | MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT WITH A LAYER CONTAINING AN OXIDE AS A PRINCIPAL COMPONENT AND CONTAINING A MAGNETIC TRANSITION METAL ELEMENT WHICH DOES NOT BOND TO OXYGEN - There are provided a magnetoresistance effect element, a magnetic head, a magnetic head assembly and a magnetic recording system, which have high sensitivity and high reliability. The magnetoresistance effect element has two ferromagnetic layers, a non-magnetic layer provided between the ferromagnetic layers, and a layer containing an oxide or nitride as a principal component, wherein the layer containing the oxide or nitride as the principal component contains a magnetic transition metal element which does not bond to oxygen and nitrogen and which is at least one of Co, Fe and Ni. | 01-12-2012 |
20120040207 | Low switching current dual spin filter (DSF) element for STT-RAM and a method for making the same - A dual spin filter that minimizes spin-transfer magnetization switching current (Jc) while achieving a high dR/R in STT-RAM devices is disclosed. The bottom spin valve has a MgO tunnel barrier layer formed with a natural oxidation process to achieve low RA, a CoFe/Ru/CoFeB—CoFe pinned layer, and a CoFeB/FeSiO/CoFeB composite free layer with a middle nanocurrent channel (NCC) layer to minimize Jc | 02-16-2012 |
20120196153 | MAGNETO-RESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT, MAGNETIC HEAD, MAGNETIC HEAD SLIDER, HEAD GIMBAL ASSEMBLY AND HARD DISK DRIVE APPARATUS - An MR element includes a stack, being a pillar or trapezoidal stack, including first and second magnetic layers in which a relative angle formed by magnetization directions changes according to an external magnetic field, and a spacer layer that is positioned between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and that is provided with a main spacer layer that is composed of gallium oxide, zinc oxide or magnesium oxide as a primary component, wherein, one part of side surfaces of the stack forms a part of an air bearing surface; and a cover layer that covers at least another part of the side surfaces of the stack and that is composed of gallium oxide as a primary component. | 08-02-2012 |
20130029182 | CoFe/Ni Multilayer Film with Perpendicular Anisotropy for Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording - A spin transfer oscillator with a seed/SIL/spacer/FGL/capping configuration is disclosed with a composite seed layer made of Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying (A1/A2) | 01-31-2013 |
20130078482 | Scalable Magnetoresistive Element - A magnetoresistive element that includes a free ferromagnetic layer comprising a reversible magnetization directed substantially perpendicular to a film surface, a pinned ferromagnetic layer comprising a fixed magnetization directed substantially perpendicular to the film surface, and a tunnel barrier layer disposed between the free and pinned ferromagnetic layers, wherein the free and pinned layers contain at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, and Mo, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, P, C, and Si, and wherein the free layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the pinned layer have a coherent body-centered cubic structure with a (001) plane oriented, and a bidirectional spin-polarized current passing through the coherent structure in a direction perpendicular to the film surface reverses a magnetization direction of the free layer. | 03-28-2013 |
20130164562 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTANCE (TMR) READ SENSOR WITH A LONG DIFFUSION PATH AND EX-SITU INTERFACES IN A SENSE LAYER STRUCTURE - The invention provides a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) read sensor with a long diffusion path and ex-situ interfaces in a sense layer structure. The sense layer structure comprises a first sense layer preferably formed of a ferromagnetic Co—Fe film, a second sense layer preferably formed of a ferromagnetic Co—Fe—B film, and a third sense layer preferably formed of a ferromagnetic Ni—Fe film. The sense layer structure has a long diffusion path (defined as a total thickness of the first and second sense layers) and ex-situ interfaces for suppressing unwanted diffusions of Ni atoms. Alternatively, the sense layer structure comprises a first sense layer preferably formed of a ferromagnetic Co—Fe film, a second sense layer preferably formed of a ferromagnetic Co—Fe—B film, a third sense layer preferably formed of a ferromagnetic Co—Fe—B—Hf film, and a fourth sense layer preferably formed of a ferromagnetic Ni—Fe film. | 06-27-2013 |
20130177781 | MAGNETIC ELEMENT HAVING PERPENDICULAR ANISOTROPY WITH ENHANCED EFFICIENCY - A material composition for forming a free layer in a STT structure (such as a single or dual MTJ structure) can include Co | 07-11-2013 |
20130216863 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DEFINING A MAGNETORESISTIVE JUNCTION - A method and system define a magnetoresistive junction in a magnetic recording transducer. The method and system include performing a first mill at a first angle from a normal to the surface of the magnetic recording transducer. A second mill is performed at a second angle from the normal to the surface. The second angle is larger than the first angle. A third mill is performed at a third angle from the normal to the surface. The third angle is not larger than the first angle. | 08-22-2013 |
20130288076 | STACK WITH WIDE SEED LAYER - A stack having a seed layer structure with a first part having a first cross-track width and a free layer deposited over the seed layer structure and with a second cross-track width, wherein the first cross-track width is greater than the second cross-track width. In one implementation, the seed layer structure further comprises an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer and a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer. In one alternate implementation, the cross-track width of the seed layer structure is substantially equal to the combined cross-track width of the free layer and cross-track width of two permanent magnets. | 10-31-2013 |
20140154528 | Low Resistance Area Magnetic Stack - A magnetic element may generally be configured at least with a magnetic stack having a multilayer barrier structure disposed between first and second ferromagnetic layers. The multilayer barrier structure can have a binary compound layer disposed between first and second alloy layers with the binary compound having a metal element and a second element where at least one alloy layer has the metal element and a third element dissimilar from the second element. | 06-05-2014 |
20140154529 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR FOR A MAGNETIC STORAGE SYSTEM READ HEAD, AND FABRICATION METHOD THEREOF - A magnetic read transducer including a magnetoresistive sensor is described, as well as a fabrication method thereof. The magnetoresistive sensor includes a cap layer overlaying a free layer. The cap layer is situated with a first thickness to absorb boron from the free layer. The magnetoresistive sensor is annealed, and boron is diffused from the free layer and absorbed by the cap layer, improving the magnetic performance of the free layer. The cap layer thickness is then reduced to a second thickness, thereby reducing the shield-to-shield (SS) stack spacing of the magnetoresistive sensor and allowing for increased areal recording density. | 06-05-2014 |
20140205862 | Magnetoresistance Effect Element and Magnetic Memory - Provided are a magneto resistive effect element with a stable magnetization direction perpendicular to a film plane and with a controlled magnetoresistance ratio, and a magnetic memory using the magneto resistive effect element. Ferromagnetic layers | 07-24-2014 |
20140220385 | MR Enhancing Layer (MREL) For Spintronic Devices - The performance of an MR device has been improved by inserting one or more Magneto-Resistance Enhancing Layers (MRELs) into approximately the center of one or more of the magnetic layers such as an inner pinned (AP1) layer, spin injection layer (SIL), field generation layer (FGL), and a free layer. An MREL is a layer of a low band gap, high electron mobility semiconductor such as ZnO or a semimetal such as Bi. The MREL may further comprise a first conductive layer that contacts a bottom surface of the semiconductor or semimetal layer, and a second conductive layer that contacts a top surface of the semiconductor or semimetal layer. | 08-07-2014 |
20140242418 | Scalable Magnetoresistive Element - One embodiment of a magnetoresistive element comprises: a free ferromagnetic layer comprising a reversible magnetization direction directed substantially perpendicular to a film surface in its equilibrium state; a pinned ferromagnetic layer comprising a fixed magnetization direction directed substantially perpendicular to the film surface; a nonmagnetic tunnel barrier layer disposed between the free ferromagnetic layer and the pinned ferromagnetic layer and having a direct contact with the free and pinned ferromagnetic layers; a first nonmagnetic conductive layer disposed adjacent to and having a direct contact with a side of a free ferromagnetic layer opposite to the tunnel barrier layer; and a second nonmagnetic conductive layer disposed adjacent to a side of the pinned ferromagnetic layer opposite to the tunnel barrier layer, wherein the free ferromagnetic layer and the pinned ferromagnetic layers comprise at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, at least one element selected from the group consisting from V, Cr, and Mo, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, P, C, and Si, and wherein the first nonmagnetic conductive layer comprises an oxide. Other embodiments are described as shown. | 08-28-2014 |
20140287267 | TMR Device with Novel Free Layer - A TMR sensor with a free layer having a FL1/FL2/FL3 configuration is disclosed in which FL1 is FeCo or a FeCo alloy with a thickness between 2 and 15 Angstroms. The FL2 layer is made of CoFeB or a CoFeB alloy having a thickness from 2 to 10 Angstroms. The FL3 layer is from 10 to 100 Angstroms thick and has a negative λ to offset the positive λ from FL1 and FL2 layers and is comprised of CoB or a CoBQ alloy where Q is one of Ni, Mn, Tb, W, Hf, Zr, Nb, and Si. Alternatively, the FL3 layer may be a composite such as CoB/CoFe, (CoB/CoFe) | 09-25-2014 |
20140356648 | STACK WITH WIDE SEED LAYER - A stack having a seed layer structure with a first part having a first cross-track width and a free layer deposited over the seed layer structure and with a second cross-track width, wherein the first cross-track width is greater than the second cross-track width. In one implementation, the seed layer structure further comprises an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer and a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer. In one alternate implementation, the cross-track width of the seed layer structure is substantially equal to the combined cross-track width of the free layer and cross-track width of two permanent magnets. | 12-04-2014 |
20140363699 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-PLANE MAGNETORESISTIVE READ SENSOR - A current-perpendicular-to-plane magnetoresistive read sensor includes a stack of layers extending along a stacking direction, and an edge surface parallel to the stacking direction that forms at least part of a bearing surface of the read sensor, the bearing surface designed to face a recording medium. The stack of layers includes a first contact layer, a ferromagnetic free layer whose magnetic orientation varies according to an applied magnetic field, above the first contact layer, a non-magnetic layer above the ferromagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic spin injection layer above the non-magnetic layer, and a second contact layer above the spin injection layer, such that a current can flow between the second contact layer and the first contact layer along a current-perpendicular-to-plane direction, parallel to the stacking direction. The stack of layers further includes a series of structures extending along a direction parallel to the bearing surface and perpendicular to the stacking direction. | 12-11-2014 |
20160086645 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING FOR THIN (001) ORIENTATION MgO LAYERS FOR MAGNETIC JUNCTIONS USABLE IN SPIN TRANSFER TORQUE MAGNETIC MEMORY APPLICATIONS AND THE MAGNETIC JUNCTIONS SO FORMED - A method for providing a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device and a magnetic junction are described. A reference layer, a crystalline MgO tunneling barrier layer and a free layer are provided. The crystalline MgO tunneling barrier layer is continuous, has a (001) orientation and has a thickness of not more than eleven Angstroms and not less than two Angstroms. The crystalline MgO tunneling barrier layer is between the free layer and the reference layer. The magnetic junction is configured such that the free layer is switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. | 03-24-2016 |
20160180869 | Magnetic Read Head with Magnetoresistive (MR) Enhancements Toward Low Resistance X Area (RA) Product | 06-23-2016 |