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US 2006/0187704 A1Published application
Spin based sensor device
AssigneeSpinop Corporation
InventorMark Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spin based electronic device can be used as a magnetic field sensor. The device uses ferromagnetic materials for implementing a variable spin resistance. An external magnetic field can change the magnetization state of the device by orienting the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layers to be parallel or antiparallel, thus changing the resistance of the device to a current of spin polarized electrons.
Claims40
A magnetic field sensor device comprising:
- a first ferromagnetic region having a first fixed magnetization state and characterized by a first coercivity;
- a first enhancement region coupled to said first ferromagnetic region, which enhancement region is adapted to increase a polarization efficiency for a spin polarized current;
- a second ferromagnetic region characterized by a second coercivity smaller than said first coercivity, and which second ferromagnetic region has a second magnetization state which is configured to respond to a magnetic field generated by magnetic data;
- a second enhancement region coupled to said second ferromagnetic region, which second enhancement region is also adapted to increase a polarization efficiency for a spin polarized current;
- wherein the sensor device has a variable magnetic resistance based on a relationship between said first magnetization state of said first ferromagnetic region and said second magnetization state of said second ferromagnetic region such that a value of a spin polarized current conducted in the sensor device varies in accordance with said magnetic data.
2 more elements
A read head for use with magnetic recording media comprising:
- a first ferromagnetic layer having a first fixed magnetization state;
- a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization state which is variable and configured to respond to a magnetic field generated by magnetic data;
- at least a first enhancement layer and a second enhancement layer situated between said first ferromagnetic layer and said second ferromagnetic layer, which enhancement layers are adapted to reduce spin orientation randomization for a polarized current;
- wherein said magnetic data can be determined by reading a value of said spin polarized current which varies in accordance with a relationship between said first magnetization state of said first ferromagnetic layer and said second magnetization state of said second ferromagnetic region.
1 more element
A spin polarized electron current magnetic field sensing device comprising:
- a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization characterized by a first coercivity and which responds to a magnetic field from magnetically recorded data;
- a first enhancement layer coupled to said first ferromagnetic layer, which enhancement layer is adapted to increase a polarization efficiency for a spin polarized current;
- a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization characterized by a second coercivity larger than said first coercivity;
- an anti-oxidation layer covering at least part of said first second ferromagnetic layer;
- a second enhancement layer coupled to said second ferromagnetic layer, which enhancement layer is also adapted to increase a polarization efficiency for a spin polarized current;
- a high electrical impedance region situated between said first ferromagnetic layer and said second ferromagnetic layer, which high electrical impedance region can conduct a spin polarized current in response to a bias signal;
- wherein said magnetically recorded data can be determined by reading a value of said spin polarized current which varies in accordance with a relationship between said first magnetization state of said first ferromagnetic layer and said second magnetization state of said second ferromagnetic region.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.