Method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element

• US 7,776,387 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Yuasa, Hiromi, Fuji, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, BRET P
• Application Number:
  US11/802,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20080008909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 427/127, 427/131, 427/132, 427/130, 428/811.3, 360/324
• US Class Current: 427/127
• 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: G01R 33/093 using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors thin magnetic films H01F10/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3906 Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/398 Specially shaped layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3259 Spin-exchange-coupled multilayers comprising at least a nanooxide layer [NOL], e.g. with a NOL spacer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3272 by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/305 applying the spacer or adjusting its interface, e.g. in order to enable particular effect different from exchange coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1121 Multilayer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1129 Super lattice [e.g., giant magneto resistance [GMR] or colossal magneto resistance [CMR], etc.]

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element includes: forming a first magnetic layer; forming a first metallic layer, on the first magnetic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag; forming a functional layer, on the first metallic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr; forming a second metallic layer, on the functional layer, mainly containing Al; treating the second metallic layer by means of oxidizing, nitriding or oxynitiriding so as to form a current confined layer including an insulating layer and a current path with a conductor passing a current through the insulating layer; and forming, on the current confined layer, a second magnetic layer.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element, comprising:

forming a first magnetic layer;

forming a first metallic layer, on said first magnetic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag;

forming a functional layer, on said first metallic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr;

forming a second metallic layer, on said functional layer, mainly containing Al;

after forming said second metallic layer, treating said second metallic layer by means of pre-ion treatment and oxidizing, nitriding or oxynitiriding so as to form a current confined layer including an insulating layer and a current path with a conductor passing a current through said insulating layer; and

forming, on said current confined layer, a second magnetic layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using an inert gas.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using argon.

4. A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element, comprising:

forming a first magnetic layer;

forming a first metallic layer, on said first magnetic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag;

forming a second metallic layer, on said first metallic layer, mainly containing Al;

forming a functional layer, on said second metallic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr;

after forming said second metallic layer, treating said second metallic layer and said functional layer by means of pre-ion treatment and oxidizing, nitriding or oxynitiriding so as to form a current confined layer including an insulating layer and a current path with a conductor passing a current through said insulating layer; and

forming, on said current confined layer, a second magnetic layer.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using an inert gas.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using argon.

7. A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element, comprising:

forming a first magnetic layer;

forming a first metallic layer, on said first magnetic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag;

forming a second metallic layer, on said first metallic layer, mainly containing Al;

after forming said second metallic layer, treating said second metallic layer by means of pre-ion treatment and oxidizing, nitriding or oxynitiriding so as to form a current confined layer including an insulating layer and a current path with a conductor passing a current through said insulating layer;

forming a functional layer, on said current confined layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr; and

forming, on said functional layer, a second magnetic layer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using an inert gas.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using argon.

10. A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element, comprising:

forming a first magnetic layer;

forming a first metallic layer, on said first magnetic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag;

forming a first functional layer, on said first metallic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr;

forming a second metallic layer, on said first functional layer, mainly containing Al;

forming a second functional layer, on said second metallic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr;

after forming said second metallic layer, treating said second functional layer and said second metallic layer by means of pre-ion treatment and oxidizing, nitriding or oxynitiriding so as to form a current confined layer including an insulating layer and a current path with a conductor passing a current through said insulating layer; and

forming, on said current confined layer, a second magnetic layer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using an inert gas.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using argon.

13. A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element, comprising:

forming a first magnetic layer;

forming a first metallic layer, on said first magnetic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag;

forming a first functional layer, on said first metallic layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr;

forming a second metallic layer, on said first functional layer, mainly containing Al;

after forming said second metallic layer, treating said second metallic layer by means of pre-ion treatment and oxidizing, nitriding or oxynitiriding so as to form a current confined layer including an insulating layer and a current path with a conductor passing a current through said insulating layer;

forming a second functional layer, on said current confined layer, mainly containing an element selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Hf, Ti, Mo, W, Nb, Mg, Cr and Zr; and

forming, on said second functional layer, a second magnetic layer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using an inert gas.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pre-ion treatment comprises irradiation using argon.