Low resistance tunnel magnetoresistance (tmr) structure
AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
InventorsYing Hong, Kochan Ju, Tsann Lin, Ching Hwa Tsang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetic structure in one embodiment includes a tunnel barrier layer; a free layer; and a buffer layer between the tunnel barrier layer and the free layer, wherein a cross sectional area of the tunnel barrier layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof, wherein a cross sectional area of the buffer layer in a direction parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in the direction parallel to the plane of deposition thereof. Additional systems and methods are also presented.
Claims25
A magnetic structure, comprising:
- a tunnel barrier layer;
- a free layer;
- and
- a buffer layer between the tunnel barrier layer and the free layer,
- wherein a cross sectional area of the tunnel barrier layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof,
- wherein a cross sectional area of the buffer layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in the plane parallel to the plane of deposition thereof.
A magnetic structure, comprising:
- a tunnel barrier layer;
- a free layer;
- and
- a buffer layer between and immediately adjacent the tunnel barrier layer and the free layer,
- wherein cross sectional areas of the tunnel barrier layer and the buffer layer in planes parallel to planes of deposition thereof are each greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof,
- wherein the structure has an air bearing surface.
A magnetic storage system, comprising:
- magnetic media;
- at least one head for reading from and writing to the magnetic media, the at least one head having:
- a sensor, comprising:
- a tunnel barrier layer;
- a free layer;
- and
- a buffer layer between the tunnel barrier layer and the free layer,
- wherein a cross sectional area of the tunnel barrier layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof,
- wherein a cross sectional area of the buffer layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in the plane parallel to the plane of deposition thereof;
- a slider for supporting the head;
- and
- a control unit coupled to the head for controlling operation of the head.
A method, comprising:
- forming a tunnel barrier layer;
- forming a buffer layer above the barrier layer;
- and
- forming a free layer above the buffer layer such that a cross sectional area of the tunnel barrier layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof, and such that a cross sectional area of the buffer layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in the plane parallel to the plane of deposition thereof.
A method, comprising:
- forming a free layer;
- forming a buffer layer above the free layer;
- and
- forming a tunnel barrier layer above the buffer layer,
- wherein a cross sectional area of the tunnel barrier layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof,
- wherein a cross sectional area of the buffer layer in a plane parallel to a plane of deposition thereof is greater than a cross sectional area of the free layer in the plane parallel to the plane of deposition thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.