Method and apparatus for providing magnetostriction control in a freelayer of a magnetic memory device

• US 7,505,235 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Freitag, James Mac, Pinarbasi, Mustafa Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao; Allen T
• Application Number:
  US11/751,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20070217088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 360/324.11, 360/324.12
• US Class Current: 360/324.12
• 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: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/3996 large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00 Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor G11B11/00 and G11B13/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3903 using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3909 Arrangements using a magnetic tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3281 only by use of asymmetry of the magnetic film pair itself, i.e. so-called pseudospin valve [PSV] structure, e.g. NiFe/Cu/Co
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3295 Spin-exchange coupled multilayers wherein the magnetic pinned or free layers are laminated without anti-parallel coupling within the pinned and free layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/302 for applying spin-exchange-coupled multilayers, e.g. nanostructured superlattices spin-exchange-coupled multilayers H01F10/32
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing magnetostriction control in a synthetic free layer of a magnetic memory device is disclosed. A first free layer of CoFe alloy has a first thickness. A second free layer of NiFe alloy has a second thickness. At least one of the CoFe alloy and NiFe alloy includes at least one of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti. The relative thicknesses of the first and second free layer are modified to obtain a desired magnetostriction without a change in the magenetoristance ratio, ΔR/R. The synthetic free layer may also be configured to have a net magnetic moment. A sensor may be a current-in-plane or a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane sensor. The sensor also may be configured to be a GMR sensor or a TMR sensor.

Claims

1. A method for controlling magnetostriction in a free layer of a magnetic memory device, comprising:

forming a pinned layer;

forming a separation layer over the pinned layer; and

forming a bilayer, composite free layer, the forming the bilayer, composite free layer includes;

forming a first free layer, the first free layer comprising a CoFe alloy; and

forming a second free layer, the second free layer comprising a NiFe alloy,

wherein the forming the first free layer of CoFe alloy and the forming of the second free layer of NiFe alloy further comprises forming the first free layer of CoFe alloy with a predetermined first thickness and forming the second free layer of NiFe with a predetermined second thickness, wherein the ratio of the predetermined first thickness to the predetermined second thickness is selected to provide a predetermined magnetostriction and wherein at least one of the CoFe alloy and NiFe alloy includes an addition of at least one element of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti, the ratio of the first thickness and second thickness being selected to provide a desired magnetostriction and the addition of at least one element of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti being controlled to maintain a substantially constant sensor resistance while adjusting the ratio of the first thickness and second thickness to provide a desired magnetostriction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first free layer comprises CoFeX, wherein X comprises at least one of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti and the second free layer is NiFe.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second free layer comprises NiFeX, wherein X comprises at least one of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti and the first free layer is CoFe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the separation layer is a layer selected from the group consisting of a conductor layer and an insulation layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first free layer and the second free layer are configured to provide a predetermined net magnetic moment.

6. A magnetic sensor, comprising:

a pinned layer;

a separation layer formed over the pinned layer;

a bilayer, composite free layer, the forming the bilayer, composite free layer includes;

a first free layer, the first free layer comprising a CoFe alloy; and

a second free layer, the second free layer comprising a NiFe alloy,

wherein the first free layer of CoFe alloy and the second free layer of NiFe alloy further comprises the first free layer of CoFe alloy formed with a predetermined first thickness and the second free layer of NiFe formed with a predetermined second thickness, wherein the ratio of the predetermined first thickness to the predetermined second thickness is selected to provide a predetermined magnetostriction and wherein at least one of the CoFe alloy and NiFe alloy includes an addition of at least one element of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti, the ratio of the first thickness and second thickness being selected to provide a desired magnetostriction and the addition of at least one element of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti being controlled to maintain a substantially constant sensor resistance while adjusting the ratio of the first thickness and second thickness to provide a desired magnetostriction.

7. The magnetic sensor of claim 6, wherein the first free layer comprises CoFeX, wherein X comprises at least one of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti and the second free layer is NiFe.

8. The magnetic sensor of claim 6, wherein the second free layer comprises NiFeX, wherein X comprises at least one of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti and the first free layer is CoFe.

9. The magnetic sensor of claim 6, wherein a first lead is disposed along an exposed surface of the pinned layer and a second lead is disposed along an exposed surface of the first or second free layer, wherein current flows from the first lead to the second lead perpendicular to a plane of the pinned layer, separation layer, first free layer and second free layer.

10. The magnetic sensor of claim 9, wherein the separation layer is a layer selected from the group consisting of a conductor layer and an insulation layer.

11. The magnetic sensor of claim 6, wherein the first free layer and the second free layer are configured to provide a predetermined net magnetic moment.

12. The magnetic sensor of claim 6, wherein a first lead is disposed at a first end of the first and second free layer and a second lead is disposed at a second end of the first and second free layer, wherein current flows from the first lead to the second lead in a plane of the first free layer and second free layer.

13. The magnetic sensor of claim 12, wherein the separation layer is a conductor layer.

14. The magnetic sensor of claim 12, wherein the separation layer is an insulation layer.

15. A magnetic storage system, comprising:

a movable magnetic recording medium;

a magnetic sensor for detecting magnetic signals on the moveable recording medium, comprising;

a pinned layer;

a separation layer formed over the pinned layer;

a bilayer, composite free layer, the forming the bilayer, composite free layer includes;

a first free layer, the first free layer comprising a CoFe alloy; and

a second free layer, the second free layer comprising a NiFe alloy,

a magnetoresistance detector, coupled to the magnetic sensor, for detecting an electrical resistance through the magnetic sensor based on magnetic orientations of the first and the second free layers; and

an actuator, coupled to the magnetic sensor, for moving the sensor relative to the medium;

wherein the first free layer of CoFe alloy and the second free layer of NiFe alloy further comprises the first free layer of CoFe alloy formed with a predetermined first thickness and the second free layer of NiFe formed with a predetermined second thickness, wherein the ratio of the predetermined first thickness to the predetermined second thickness is selected to provide a predetermined magnetostriction and wherein at least one of the CoFe alloy and NiFe alloy includes an addition of at least one element of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti, the ratio of the first thickness and second thickness being selected to provide a desired magnetostriction and the addition of at least one element of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta and Ti being controlled to maintain a substantially constant sensor resistance while adjusting the ratio of the first thickness and second thickness to provide a desired magnetostriction.

16. The magnetic storage system of claim 15, wherein a first lead is disposed along an exposed surface of the pinned layer and a second lead is disposed along an exposed surface of the first or second free layer, wherein current flows from the first lead to the second lead perpendicular to a plane of the pinned layer, separation layer, first free layer and second free layer.

17. The magnetic storage system of claim 16, wherein the separation layer is a layer selected from the group consisting of a conductor layer and an insulation layer.

18. The magnetic storage system of claim 15, wherein the first free layer and the second free layer are configured to provide a predetermined net magnetic moment.

19. The magnetic storage system of claim 15, wherein a first lead is disposed at a first end of the first and second free layer and a second lead is disposed at a second end of the first and second free layer, wherein current flows from the first lead to the second lead in a plane of the first free layer and second free layer.

20. The magnetic storage system of claim 19, wherein the separation layer is a conductor layer.

21. The magnetic storage system of claim 20, wherein the separation layer is an insulation layer.