Magnetic element utilizing free layer engineering

• US 7,916,433 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• 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:
  US12/816,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20100247967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• Field of Search: 360/324.2, 360/324.12, 360/324.11, 360/324.1, 257/422, 257/421, 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 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 CoNiFeX, with X being selected from the group of 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 crystalline orientation, the first crystalline orientation being (002);

an additional barrier layer; and

an additional pinned layer, the additional barrier layer residing between the free layer and the additional pinned layer.

2. The magnetic element of claim 1 wherein the second ferromagnetic layer includes at least one of CoFeY and NiFe, with Y 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.

3. The magnetic element of claim 2 wherein X is at least five atomic percent.

4. The magnetic element of claim 2 wherein the intermediate layer includes at least one of Ru, Ir, Rh, Hf, Zr, Ta, and Ti.

5. The magnetic element of claim 1 wherein the additional barrier layer includes at least one of crystalline MgO and aluminum oxide.

6. The magnetic element of claim 1 wherein the free layer further includes an additional intermediate layer and a third ferromagnetic layer, the additional intermediate layer residing between the third ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer the third ferromagnetic layer including at least one of CoFeY and CoNiFeY, with Y 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, wherein the third ferromagnetic layer resides between the additional intermediate layer and the additional barrier layer;

and the additional barrier layer residing between the third ferromagnetic layer and the additional pinned layer.

7. The magnetic element of claim 6 wherein the additional barrier layer includes at least one of crystalline MgO and aluminum oxide.

8. The magnetic element of claim 6 wherein the second ferromagnetic layer includes NiFe.

9. The magnetic element of claim 1 whereon the barrier layer is composed of crystalline MgO.

10. The magnetic element of claim 1 further comprising:

an antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the pinned layer.

11. The magnetic element of claim 10 wherein the antiferromagnetic layer includes at least one of PtMn and IrMn.

12. 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 crystalline orientation, the first crystalline orientation being (002), the intermediate layer including Ru and having a thickness of at least one Angstrom and not more than five Angstroms;

an additional barrier layer; and

an additional pinned layer, the additional barrier layer residing between the free layer and the additional pinned layer.

13. The magnetic element of claim 12 wherein the free layer further includes an additional intermediate layer and a third ferromagnetic layer, the additional intermediate layer residing between the third ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer the third ferromagnetic layer including at least one of CoFeZ and CoNiFeZ, with Z 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 third ferromagnetic layer residing between the additional intermediate layer and the additional barrier layer, the additional barrier layer residing between the third ferromagnetic layer and the additional pinned layer.

14. A magnetic recording head comprising:

at least one magnetic element including a pinned layer, a barrier layer, a free layer, an additional barrier layer, and an additional pinned layer, the 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 crystalline MgO, the additional barrier layer residing between the free layer and the additional pinned 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 crystalline orientation, the first crystalline orientation being (002).

15. The magnetic recording head of claim 14 wherein the free layer further includes an additional intermediate layer and a third ferromagnetic layer, the additional intermediate layer residing between the third ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer the third ferromagnetic layer including at least one of CoFeY and CoNiFeY, with Y 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 third ferromagnetic layer residing between the additional intermediate layer and the additional barrier layer, the additional barrier layer residing between the third ferromagnetic layer and the additional pinned layer.