Magnetic element utilizing free layer engineering

• US 7,760,474 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Semiconductor Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Grandis, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Eugene Youjun, Huai, Yiming, Diao, Zhitao
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; Brian E
• Application Number:
  US11/487,552
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 360/324.1, 360/324.2, 360/324.11, 360/324.12, 428/811.1, 438/3, 257/421, 257/422, 257/295, 365/158, 365/173, 365/171
• 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: G11B 5/3906 Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3909 Arrangements using a magnetic tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/161 details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/85 Magnetic active materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/115 Magnetic layer composition

Abstract

A method and system for providing a magnetic element are described. The method and system include providing a pinned layer, a barrier layer, and a free layer. The free layer includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. The barrier layer resides between the pinned layer and the free layer and includes MgO. The first ferromagnetic layer resides between the barrier layer and the intermediate layer. The first ferromagnetic layer includes at least one of CoFeX and CoNiFeX, with X being selected from the group of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta, Ti, and being greater than zero atomic percent and not more than thirty atomic percent. The first ferromagnetic layer is ferromagnetically coupled with the second ferromagnetic layer. The intermediate layer is configured such that the first ferromagnetic layer has a first crystalline orientation and the second ferromagnetic layer has a second crystalline orientation different from the first ferromagnetic layer.

Claims

1. A magnetic element comprising:

a pinned layer;

a barrier layer composed of crystalline MgO;

a free layer including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the barrier layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the barrier layer and the intermediate layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being ferromagnetically coupled with the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer including at least one of CoFeX and CoNiFeX, with X being selected from the group of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta, Ti, and being greater than zero atomic percent and not more than thirty atomic percent, the intermediate layer being configured such that the first ferromagnetic layer has a first crystalline orientation and the second ferromagnetic layer has a second crystalline orientation different from the first ferromagnetic layer and wherein the first crystalline orientation is (002).

2. A magnetic element comprising:

a pinned layer;

a barrier layer including crystalline MgO;

a free layer including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the barrier layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the barrier layer and the intermediate layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being ferromagnetically coupled with the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer including at least one of CoFeX and CoFeNiX with X being selected from the group of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta, Ti, and being greater than zero atomic percent and not more than thirty atomic percent, the second ferromagnetic layer including at least one of the CoFeX and NiFe, the intermediate layer being configured such that the first ferromagnetic layer has a first crystalline orientation and the second ferromagnetic layer has a second crystalline orientation different from the first ferromagnetic layer, the intermediate layer including Ru and having a thickness of at least one Angstrom and not more than five Angstroms, the first crystalline orientation being (002).

3. A magnetic recording head comprising:

a one magnetic element including a pinned layer, a barrier layer, and a free layer including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the barrier layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the barrier layer including MgO, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the barrier layer and the intermediate layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being ferromagnetically coupled with the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer including at least one of CoFeX and CoNiFeX, with X being selected from the group of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta, Ti, and being greater than zero atomic percent and not more than thirty atomic percent, the intermediate layer being configured such that the first ferromagnetic layer has a first crystalline orientation and the second ferromagnetic layer has a second crystalline orientation different from the first ferromagnetic layer, the first crystalline orientation being (002).

4. A magnetic element comprising:

a pinned layer;

a barrier layer including MgO;

a free layer including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the barrier layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the barrier layer and the intermediate layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being ferromagnetically coupled with the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer including at least one of CoFeX and CoNiFeX, with X being selected from the group of B, P, Si, Nb, Zr, Hf, Ta, and Ti, and being greater than zero atomic percent and not more than thirty atomic percent, the intermediate layer being configured such that the first ferromagnetic layer has a first crystalline orientation and the second ferromagnetic layer has a second crystalline orientation different from the first ferromagnetic layer, the first crystalline orientation being (002).