Magnetoresistance sensor having an antiferromagnetic pinning layer with both surfaces pinning ferromagnetic bias layers
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorHardayal Singh Gill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetoresistance sensor structure includes a magnetoresistance sensor having a sensor surface plane and having a free layer. An upper antiferromagnetic layer overlies at least a portion of the free layer, and an upper ferromagnetic layer overlies and contacts at least a portion of the upper antiferromagnetic layer on a contact face lying parallel to the sensor surface plane, so that the upper antiferromagnetic layer lies between the upper ferromagnetic layer and the free layer. The magnetoresistance sensor may be a giant magnetoresistance sensor or a tunnel magnetoresistance sensor.
Claims20
A magnetoresistance sensor structure comprising:
- a magnetoresistance sensor having a sensor surface plane and comprising a free layer;
- an upper antiferromagnetic layer overlying at least a portion of the free layer;
- and
- an upper ferromagnetic layer overlying and contacting at least a portion of the upper antiferromagnetic layer on a contact face lying parallel to the sensor surface plane, so that the upper antiferromagnetic layer lies between the upper ferromagnetic layer and the free layer.
A magnetoresistance sensor structure comprising:
- a magnetoresistance sensor having a sensor surface plane and comprising:
- a lower antiferromagnetic layer, and
- a free layer overlying the lower antiferromagnetic layer;
- an upper antiferromagnetic layer overlying at least a portion of the free layer;
- and
- an upper ferromagnetic layer overlying and contacting at least a portion of the upper antiferromagnetic layer on a contact face lying parallel to the sensor surface plane, so that the upper antiferromagnetic layer lies between the upper ferromagnetic layer and the free layer.
A magnetoresistance sensor structure comprising:
- a magnetoresistance sensor having a sensor surface plane, a transverse direction lying in the sensor surface plane, and a longitudinal direction lying perpendicular to the transverse direction and in the sensor surface plane, the magnetoresistance sensor comprising:
- a transverse biasing stack including a lower antiferromagnetic layer, and
- a free layer overlying the transverse biasing stack;
- and
- a longitudinal biasing stack overlying the magnetoresistance sensor, the longitudinal biasing stack comprising:
- an upper antiferromagnetic layer, and
- an upper ferromagnetic layer overlying and contacting at least a portion of the upper antiferromagnetic layer on a contact face lying parallel to the sensor surface plane, so that the upper antiferromagnetic layer lies between the upper ferromagnetic layer and the magnetoresistance sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.