Magnetoresistive element and memory element

• US 5,691,936 A
• Filed: 08/14/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawawake, Yasuhiro, Irie, Yousuke, Uenoyama, Takeshi, Sakakima, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAI, SON LUU
• Application Number:
  US08/702,382
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 365/158, 365/171, 365/173, 360/113, 360/119
• US Class Current: 365/158
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/3996 large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/14 using thin-film elements

Abstract

A magnetoresistive effect element having a large magnetoresistive change with a small magnetic field, and a memory element using the same. A semiconductor film to provide a window for excitation light is arranged on a substrate via a buffer layer. Another semiconductor film and a nonmagnetic metallic film (or a nonmagnetic insulating film) are arranged on the semiconductor film successively. A magnetic film having a square magnetization curve is arranged on the nonmagnetic metallic film (or a nonmagnetic insulating film). An electrode is arranged beneath the substrate and another electrode is arranged on the magnetic film. By radiating a laser light beam to the semiconductor film acting as a window, electrons having spin polarization are excited in the semiconductor film so as to utilize the dependency of the scattering of electrons at the surface of the magnetic film on the magnetization orientation of the magnetic film and the spin polarization state of the excited electrons.

Claims

1. A magnetoresistive element comprising a polarizable light source, a semiconductor portion capable of spin polarization of electrons by light excitation using the light source, a magnetic film portion, and electrode portions arranged on the semiconductor portion and the magnetic film portion respectively.

2. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor portion comprises two kinds of semiconductors having different lattice constants.

3. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein a nonmagnetic metallic film is provided between the magnetic film portion and the semiconductor portion.

4. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 3, wherein the nonmagnetic metallic film comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag and Au.

5. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 3, wherein the nonmagnetic metallic film comprises two kinds of nonmagnetic metallic films.

6. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 5, wherein, for the two kinds of nonmagnetic metallic film, the film contacting the semiconductor portion comprises Cs and the other film contacting the magnetic film portion comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag and Au.

7. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 3, wherein the film thickness of the nonmagnetic metallic film is 100 nm or less.

8. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein a nonmagnetic insulation film is provided between the magnetic film portion and the semiconductor portion.

9. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 8, wherein the nonmagnetic insulating film has the same crystalline structure as the semiconductor portion.

10. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic film portion is a ferromagnetic film mainly comprising Ni_x Co_y Fe_z, with the atomic composition ratio of X=0.6 to 0.9, Y=0 to 0.4, Z=0 to 0.3.

11. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic film portion is a ferromagnetic film mainly comprising Ni_x '"'"'Co_y '"'"'Fe_z '"'"', with the atomic composition ratio of X'"'"'=0 to 0.4, Y'"'"'=0.2 to 0.95, Z=0 to 0.5.

12. A memory element comprising a polarizable light source, a semiconductor portion capable of spin polarization of electrons by light excitation using the light source, a magnetic film portion having a square magnetization curve contacting to the semiconductor portion, a conductor line portion for reading out information contacting both to the semiconductor portion and the magnetic film portion, and a conductor line portion for recording information arranged in the vicinity of the magnetic film portion via an insulating film.

13. The memory element according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor portion comprises two kinds of semiconductors having different lattice constants.

14. The memory element according to claim 12, wherein a nonmagnetic metallic film is provided between the magnetic film portion and the semiconductor portion.

15. The memory element according to claim 14, wherein the nonmagnetic metallic film comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag and Au.

16. The memory element according to claim 14, wherein the nonmagnetic metallic film comprises two kinds of nonmagnetic metallic films.

17. The memory element according to claim 16, wherein, for the two kinds of nonmagnetic metallic film, the film contacting the semiconductor portion comprises Cs and the other film contacting the magnetic film portion comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag and Au.

18. The memory element according to claim 14, wherein the film thickness of the nonmagnetic metallic film is 100 nm or less.

19. The memory element according to claim 12, wherein a nonmagnetic insulation film is provided between the magnetic film portion and the semiconductor portion.

20. The memory element according to claim 19, wherein the nonmagnetic insulating film has the same crystalline structure as the semiconductor portion.

21. The memory element according to claim 12, wherein the magnetic film portion is a ferromagnetic film mainly comprising Ni_x Co_y Fe_z, with the atomic composition ratio of X=0.6 to 0.9, Y=0 to 0.4, Z=0 to 0.3.

22. The memory element according to claim 12, wherein the magnetic film portion is a ferromagnetic film mainly comprising Ni_x '"'"'Co_y '"'"'Fe_z '"'"', with the atomic composition ratio of X'"'"'=0 to 0.4, Y'"'"'=0.2 to 0.95, Z'"'"'=0 to 0.5.

23. The memory element according to claim 12, wherein the conductor line portion for recording information comprises two kinds of conductor lines orthogonal to each other in the vicinity of the magnetic film portion.