Magnetoresistive element and method of manufacturing the same
First Claim
1. A magnetoresistive element comprising:
- a storage layer having a variable and perpendicular magnetization;
a tunnel barrier layer on the storage layer;
a reference layer having an invariable and perpendicular magnetization on the tunnel barrier layer;
a hard mask layer on the reference layer;
a side wall spacer layer on side walls of the reference layer and the hard mask layer; and
a boundary layer between the tunnel barrier layer and the reference layer,wherein an in-plane size of the reference layer is smaller than an in-plane size of the storage layer, a difference between the in-plane sizes of the storage layer and the reference layer is 2 nm or less, and the side wall spacer layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a diamond, DLC, BN, SiC, B4C, Al2O3 and AlN.
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Abstract
According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element includes a storage layer having a variable and perpendicular magnetization, a tunnel barrier layer on the storage layer, a reference layer having an invariable and perpendicular magnetization on the tunnel barrier layer, a hard mask layer on the reference layer, and a sidewall spacer layer on sidewalls of the reference layer and the hard mask layer. An in-plane size of the reference layer is smaller than an in-plane size of the storage layer. A difference between the in-plane sizes of the storage layer and the reference layer is 2 nm or less. The sidewall spacer layer includes a material selected from a group of a diamond, DLC, BN, SiC, B4C, Al2O3 and AlN.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A magnetoresistive element comprising:
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a storage layer having a variable and perpendicular magnetization; a tunnel barrier layer on the storage layer; a reference layer having an invariable and perpendicular magnetization on the tunnel barrier layer; a hard mask layer on the reference layer; a side wall spacer layer on side walls of the reference layer and the hard mask layer; and a boundary layer between the tunnel barrier layer and the reference layer, wherein an in-plane size of the reference layer is smaller than an in-plane size of the storage layer, a difference between the in-plane sizes of the storage layer and the reference layer is 2 nm or less, and the side wall spacer layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a diamond, DLC, BN, SiC, B4C, Al2O3 and AlN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A magnetoresistive element comprising:
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a storage layer having a variable and perpendicular magnetization; a tunnel barrier layer on the storage layer; a reference layer having an invariable and perpendicular magnetization on the tunnel barrier layer; a hard mask layer on the reference layer, the hard mask layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a diamond, DLC, BN, SiC, B4C, Al2O3 and AlN; and a side wall spacer layer on side walls of the reference layer and the hard mask layer, wherein an in-plane size of the reference layer is smaller than an in-plane size of the storage layer, a difference between the in-plane sizes of the storage layer and the reference layer is 2 nm or less, and the side wall spacer layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a diamond, DLC, BN, SiC, B4C, Al2O3 and AlN. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification