US 2012/0009337 A1 · Novel CPP device with an enhanced dR/R ratio

Abstract

A CPP-GMR spin valve having a composite spacer layer comprised of at least one metal (M) layer and at least one semiconductor or semi-metal (S) layer is disclosed. The composite spacer may have a M/S, S/M, M/S/M, S/M/S, M/S/M/S/M, or a multilayer (M/S/M)n configuration where n is an integer≧1. The pinned layer preferably has an AP2/coupling/AP1 configuration wherein the AP2 portion is a FCC trilayer represented by CoZFe(100-Z)/FeYCo(100-Y)/CoZFe(100-Z) where y is 0 to 60 atomic %, and z is 75 to 100 atomic %. In one embodiment, M is Cu with a thickness from 0.5 to 50 Angstroms and S is ZnO with a thickness of 1 to 50 Angstroms. The S layer may be doped with one or more elements. The dR/R ratio of the spin valve is increased to 10% or greater while maintaining acceptable EM and RA performance.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method of forming a spin valve structure in a magnetic read head comprising:

(a) providing a substrate;
and
(b) sequentially forming a seed layer, AFM layer, pinned layer having an AP2/coupling/AP1 configuration, a composite spacer having at least one metal (M) layer and at least one semiconductor or semi-metal (S) layer, a free layer, and a capping layer on the substrate, the composite spacer has a M/S, S/M, M/S/M, S/M/S, M/S/M/S/M, or a (M/S/M)n configuration where n is an integer>1 and wherein M is Cu, and S is ZnO.

A method of forming a spin valve structure in a magnetic read head comprising:

(a) providing a substrate;
and
(b) sequentially forming a seed layer, AFM layer, pinned layer having an AP2/coupling/AP1 configuration, a composite spacer having at least one metal (M) layer and at least one semiconductor or semi-metal (S) layer, a free layer, and a capping layer on the substrate, the composite spacer has a M/S, S/M, M/S/M, S/M/S, M/S/M/S/M, or a (M/S/M)n configuration where n is an integer>1 and wherein S is a semiconductor material comprised of MgO, ZnXMg(100-X)O where x is from 0 to 99 atomic %, ZnCuO, ZnCdO, ZnAlO, ZnSe, ZnTe, Si, Ge, TiO2, AlN, GaN, InN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, ZnS, CdS, CdTe, HgTe, PbS, PbSe, PbTe, SnTe, Cu2O, FeSi2, CrMnSi, Mg2Si, RuSi3, Ir3Si5 or is a semi-metal such as Sb, Bi, CoSi, CoXFe(100-X)Si, CoXNi(100-X)Si, CoXMn(100-X)Si, CoXCr(100-X)Si, or FeSi, and M is Ag, Au, Cr, Al, or Mg.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/200,013Filed 15 Sep 2011

Priority

11 May 2007

Published

12 Jan 2012

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G11B 5/3909
Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects: arrangements using a magnetic tunnel junction
B82Y 10/00
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission
B82Y 25/00
Nanomagnetism
G11B 5/3906
Using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures: details related to the use of magnetic thin film…

Novel CPP device with an enhanced dR/R ratio

Life of this patent

Novel CPP device with an enhanced dR/R ratio

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7