| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080268290 | CHEMICALLY DISORDERED MATERIAL USED TO FORM A FREE LAYER OR A PINNED LAYER OF A MAGNETORESISTANCE (MR) READ ELEMENT - Magnetoresistive (MR) read elements and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed. A free layer and/or a pinned layer of an MR read element are formed from a magnetic material such as Co | 10-30-2008 |
| 20090027813 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH CoFeGe FERROMAGNETIC LAYERS - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane spin-valve (CPP-SV) magnetoresistive sensor has a ferromagnetic alloy comprising Co, Fe and Ge in the sensor's free layer and/or pinned layer. The sensor may be a simple pinned structure, in which case the pinned layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. Alternatively, the sensor may have an AP-pinned layer structure, in which case the AP2 layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. The Ge-containing alloy comprises Co, Fe and Ge, wherein Ge is present in the alloy in an amount between about 20 and 40 atomic percent, and wherein the ratio of Co to Fe in the alloy is between about 0.8 and 1.2. More particularly, the CoFeGe alloy may consist essentially of only Co, Fe and Ge according to the formula (Co | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090091864 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH ANTIPARALLEL-PINNED LAYER CONTAINING SILICON - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) spin-valve (SV) magnetoresistive sensor uses an antiparallel (AP) pinned structure and has a ferromagnetic alloy comprising Co, Fe and Si in the reference layer of the AP-pinned structure and optionally in the CPP-SV sensor's free layer. The reference layer or AP2 layer is a multilayer of a first AP2-1 sublayer that contains no Si and is in contact with the AP-pinned structure's antiparallel coupling (APC) layer, and a second AP2-2 sublayer that contains Si and is in contact with the CPP-SV sensor's spacer layer. The Si-containing alloy may consist essentially of only Co, Fe and Si according to the formula (Co | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090154025 | SCISSORING-TYPE CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH FREE LAYERS HAVING ETCH-INDUCED UNIAXIAL MAGNETIC ANISOTROPY - A “scissoring-type” current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor with dual ferromagnetic sensing or free layers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer has improved stability as a result of etch-induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in each of the free layers. Each of the two ferromagnetic free layers has an etch-induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and an in-plane magnetic moment substantially parallel to its uniaxial anisotropy in the quiescent state, i.e., the absence of an applied magnetic field. The etch-induced uniaxial anisotropy of each of the free layers is achieved either by direct ion etching of each of the free layers, and/or by ion etching of the layer on which each of the free layers is deposited. A strong magnetic anisotropy is induced in the free layers by the etching, which favors generally orthogonal orientation of the two free layers in the quiescent state. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090154027 | AP FREE LAYER CPP SENSOR WITH TOP APERTURE - Read sensors and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed. A read sensor as disclosed herein includes a first shield, a sensor stack including an antiparallel (AP) free layer, and insulating material disposed on the sensor stack. A aperture is formed through the insulating material above the sensor stack so that a subsequently deposited second shield is electrically coupled to the sensor stack through the aperture. The width of the aperture controls the current density that is injected into the top of the sensor stack. Also, hard bias structures may be formed to be electrically coupled to the sensor stack. The electrical coupling of the sensor stack and the hard bias structures allows current to laterally spread out as it passes through the sensor stack, and hence, provides a non-uniform current density. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090161262 | Three terminal magnetic sensing device having a track width defined in a localized region by a patterned insulator and methods of making the same - A three terminal magnetic sensing device (TTM) having a trackwidth defined in a localized region by a patterned insulator, and methods of making the same, are disclosed. In one illustrative example, one or more first sensor layers (e.g. which includes a “base” layer) are formed over a collector substrate. A patterned insulator which defines a central opening exposing a top layer of the one or more first sensor layers is then formed. The central opening has a width for defining a trackwidth (TW) of the TTM. Next, one or more second sensor layers are formed over the top layer of the one or more first sensor layers through the central opening of the patterned insulator. The one or more second sensor layers may include a tunnel barrier layer formed in contact with the top layer of the one or more first sensor layers, as well as an “emitter” layer. Various embodiments and techniques are provided. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090257154 | SCISSORING-TYPE CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE (CPP-GMR) SENSORS WITH DAMPED FREE LAYER STRUCTURES - A “scissoring-type” current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magnetoresistive (CPP-GMR) sensor has magnetically damped free layers. In one embodiment each of the two free layers is in contact with a damping layer that comprises Pt or Pd, or a lanthanoid (an element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Th, Yb, and Lu). Each of the two free layers has one of its surfaces in contact with the sensor's electrically conducting nonmagnetic spacer layer and its other surface in contact with its associated damping layer. A nonmagnetic film may be located between each free layer and its associated damping layer. In another embodiment the damping element is present as a dopant or impurity in each of the two free layers. In another embodiment a nanolayer of the damping element is located within each of the two free layers. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090268353 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH ANTIPARALLEL-FREE LAYER STRUCTURE AND LOW CURRENT-INDUCED NOISE - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor has an antiparallel free (APF) structure as the free layer and a specific direction for the applied bias or sense current. The (APF) structure has a first free ferromagnetic (FL | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090297700 | METHOD FOR MAKING A CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE (CPP-GMR) SENSOR WITH A CONFINED-CURRENT-PATH (CCP) - A method of making a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magnetoresistive (CPP-GMR) sensor with a confined-current-path (CCP) layer uses an array of self-assembled ferritin protein molecules with inorganic cores to make the CCP layer in the sensor stack. In one embodiment, the ferritin molecules with cores of insulating oxide particles are deposited on an electrically conductive support layer and the ferritin molecules are dissolved, leaving an array of insulating oxide particles. An electrically conducting layer is deposited over the oxide particles and into the regions between the oxide particles to form the CCP layer. In another embodiment, the ferritin molecules with inorganic particles in their cores are deposited on an electrically insulating support layer and the ferritin molecules are dissolved, leaving an array of inorganic particles that function as an etch mask. The insulating support layer is then etched through the mask to form vias down to the underlying layer on which the support layer is formed. An electrically conducting layer is then deposited to form the CCP layer. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090323228 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE (TMR) DEVICE WITH IMPROVED FERROMAGNETIC UNDERLAYER FOR MgO TUNNELING BARRIER LAYER - A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a TMR read head for a magnetic recording hard disk drive, has a magnesium oxide (MgO) tunneling barrier layer and a ferromagnetic underlayer beneath and in direct contact with the MgO tunneling barrier layer. The ferromagnetic underlayer comprises a crystalline material according to the formula (Co | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100033881 | MAGNETIC FIELD SENSING SYSTEM USING SPIN-TORQUE DIODE EFFECT - A magnetic field sensing system with a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) sensor, like that used for giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) spin-valve (SV) sensors, operates in a mode different from conventional GMR-SV and TMR-SV systems. An alternating-current (AC) source operates at a fixed selected frequency and directs AC perpendicularly through the layers of the CPP sensor, with the AC amplitude being high enough to deliberately induce a spin-torque in the CPP sensor's free layer. The AC-induced spin-torque at the selected frequency causes oscillations in the magnetization of the free layer that give rise to a DC voltage signal V | 02-11-2010 |
| 20110026168 | CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR WITH CoFeGe FERROMAGNETIC LAYERS AND Ag OR AgCu SPACER LAYER - A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane spin-valve (CPP-SV) magnetoresistive sensor has a ferromagnetic alloy comprising Co, Fe and Ge in the sensor's free layer and/or pinned layer and a spacer layer of Ag, Cu or a AgCu alloy between the free and pinned layers. The sensor may be a simple pinned structure, in which case the pinned layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. Alternatively, the sensor may have an AP-pinned layer structure, in which case the AP2 layer may be formed of the CoFeGe ferromagnetic alloy. The Ge-containing alloy comprises Co, Fe and Ge, wherein Ge is present in the alloy in an amount between about 20 and 40 atomic percent, and wherein the ratio of Co to Fe in the alloy is between about 0.8 and 1.2. More particularly, the CoFeGe alloy may consist essentially of only Co, Fe and Ge according to the formula (Co | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110043950 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE (TMR) READ HEAD WITH LOW MAGNETIC NOISE - A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a TMR read head for a magnetic recording disk drive, has low magnetic damping, and thus low mag-noise, as a result of the addition of a ferromagnetic backing layer to the ferromagnetic free layer. The backing layer is a material with a low Gilbert damping constant or parameter α, the well-known dimensionless coefficient in the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The backing layer may have a thickness such that it contributes up to two-thirds of the total moment/area of the combined free layer and backing layer. The backing layer may be formed of a material having a composition selected from (Co | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110089940 | MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR EMPLOYING NITROGENATED Cu/Ag UNDER-LAYERS WITH (100) TEXTURED GROWTH AS TEMPLATES FOR CoFe, CoFeX, AND Co2(MnFe)X ALLOYS - A magnetoresistive sensor that has a free layer with a face centered cubic, 100 crystal orientation formed on an underlayer structure that has been deposited in the presence of nitrogen. The free layer can be constructed of CoFe, Co | 04-21-2011 |
