| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080253039 | MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT - A magnetoresistive effect element includes a first ferromagnetic layer formed above a substrate, a second ferromagnetic layer formed above the first ferromagnetic layer, an insulating layer interposed between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer and formed of a metal oxide, and a first nonmagnetic metal layer interposed between the insulating layer and the second ferromagnetic layer and in contact with a surface of the insulating layer on the side of the second ferromagnetic layer, the first nonmagnetic metal layer containing the same metal element as the metal oxide. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090080239 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC MEMORY - A magnetoresistive element includes a first reference layer having magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to a film surface, and an invariable magnetization, a recording layer having a stacked structure formed by alternately stacking magnetic layers and nonmagnetic layers, magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to a film surface, and a variable magnetization, and an intermediate layer provided between the first reference layer and the recording layer, and containing a nonmagnetic material. The magnetic layers include a first magnetic layer being in contact with the intermediate layer and a second magnetic layer being not in contact with the intermediate layer. The first magnetic layer contains an alloy containing cobalt (Co) and iron (Fe), and has a film thickness larger than that of the second magnetic layer. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090243008 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC MEMORY - A magnetoresistive element includes an underlying layer having a cubic or tetragonal crystal structure oriented in a (001) plane, a first magnetic layer provided on the underlying layer, having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and having an fct structure oriented in a (001) plane, a non-magnetic layer provided on the first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer provided on the non-magnetic layer, and having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. An in-plane lattice constant a | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090251951 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY - A magnetoresistive element includes a foundation layer, a first magnetic layer on the foundation layer, a tunnel barrier layer on the first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer. The first magnetic layer is made of a ferromagnetic metal containing one or more elements selected from a first group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni, and one or more elements selected from a second group consisting of Cu, Ag, Au, Pd, Pt, Ru, Rh, Ir, and Os. The foundation layer is made of a metal containing one or more elements selected from a third group consisting of Al, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, and V. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100244163 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC MEMORY - A magnetoresistive element includes a stabilization layer, a nonmagnetic layer, a spin-polarization layer provided between the stabilization layer and the nonmagnetic layer, the spin-polarization layer having magnetic anisotropy in a perpendicular direction, and a magnetic layer provided on a side of the nonmagnetic layer opposite to a side on which the spin-polarization layer is provided. The stabilization layer has a lattice constant smaller than that of the spin-polarization layer in an in-plane direction. The spin-polarization layer contains at least one element selected from a group consisting of cobalt (Co) and iron (Fe), has a body-centered tetragonal (BCT) structure, and has a lattice constant ratio c/a of 1.10 (inclusive) to 1.35 (inclusive) when a perpendicular direction is a c-axis and an in-plane direction is an a-axis. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100315864 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC MEMORY - A magnetoresistive element includes: a magnetization free layer having a first plane and a second plane located on the opposite side from the first plane, and having a variable magnetization direction; a magnetization pinned layer provided on the first plane side of the magnetization free layer, and having a pinned magnetization direction; a first tunnel barrier layer provided between the magnetization free layer and the magnetization pinned layer; a second tunnel barrier layer provided on the second plane of the magnetization free layer; and a non-magnetic layer provided on a plane on the opposite side of the second tunnel barrier layer from the magnetization free layer. The magnetization direction of the magnetization free layer is variable by applying current between the magnetization pinned layer and the non-magnetic layer, and a resistance ratio between the first tunnel barrier layer and the second tunnel barrier layer is in a range of 1:0.25 to 1:4. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110073970 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC MEMORY - According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element includes a first magnetic layer with a variable magnetization and an easy-axis in a perpendicular direction to a film surface, a second magnetic layer with an invariable magnetization and an easy-axis in the perpendicular direction, and a first nonmagnetic layer between the first and second magnetic layers. The first magnetic layer comprises a ferromagnetic material including an alloy in which Co and Pd, or Co and Pt are alternately laminated on an atomically close-packed plane thereof. The first magnetic layer has C-axis directing the perpendicular direction. And a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer is changed by a current flowing through the first magnetic layer, the first nonmagnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110116305 | MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT - A magnetoresistive element includes a first magnetic layer which includes a first surface and a second surface and has a first standard electrode potential, a second magnetic layer, a barrier layer which is provided between the second magnetic layer and the first surface of the first magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic cap layer which contacts the second surface of the first magnetic layer and is formed from an alloy of a first metal material and a second metal material, the first metal material having a second standard electrode potential lower than the first standard electrode potential, the second metal material having a third standard electrode potential higher than the first standard electrode potential. | 05-19-2011 |