# US 2014/0151825 A1 · Giant magneto-resistive sensor and manufacturing method thereof

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- Number: US 2014/0151825 A1
- Document ID: US20140151825A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/831,703
- Filed: 2013-03-15
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Boum Seock Kim; Eun Tae Park; Se Hoon Jeong; Sung Ho Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151825A1

## CPC

- H10D 48/40: Devices controlled by magnetic fields
- G01R 33/093: {using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors (thin magnetic films H01F10/00)}
- H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Disclosed herein are a giant magneto-resistive sensor including a free layer stacked on a substrate and having a rotatable magnetic moment; a ferromagnetic fixed layer having a magnetic moment; a pin layer disposed neighboring the fixed layer; and a spacer layer disposed between the free layer and the fixed layer and having a roughness in an interface contacting the fixed layer, and a method of manufacturing the giant magneto-resistive sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A giant magneto-resistive sensor comprising:
a free layer stacked on a substrate and having a rotatable magnetic moment;
a ferromagnetic fixed layer having a magnetic moment;
a pin layer disposed neighboring the fixed layer; and
a spacer layer disposed between the free layer and the fixed layer and having a roughness in an interface contacting the fixed layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the free layer has a double layer structure including:
a first ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the substrate; and
a second ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the spacer layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer is a NiFe layer, and
wherein the second ferromagnetic layer is a CoFe layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 3, wherein a thickness of the first ferromagnetic layer is in the range of about 20 Å and about 100 Å, and
wherein a thickness of the second ferromagnetic layer is in the range of about 5 Å and about 25 Å.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fixed layer is an artificial semi-ferromagnetic magnet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the artificial semi-ferromagnetic magnet includes:
a first ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the spacer layer; and
a second ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the pin layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 6, further comprising: a coupling layer disposed between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are CoFe layers, and
wherein the coupling layer is a ruthenium layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 8, wherein thicknesses of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are in the range of about 15 Å and about 40 Å, and
wherein a thickness of the coupling layer is in the range of about 8 Å and about 12 Å.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the fixed layer is in the range of about 20 Å and about 30 Å.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the pin layer is in the range of about 100 Å and about 300 Å.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The giant magneto-resistive sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the roughness of the spacer layer is a conical shape.

### Claim 13

A method of manufacturing a giant magneto-resistive sensor, the method comprising:
(A) depositing a free layer formed of a ferromagnetic material having a magnetic moment on a substrate;
(B) depositing a spacer layer formed of a non-magnetic material on the free layer;
(C) forming a roughness on the spacer layer;
(D) depositing a fixed layer formed of the ferromagnetic material having a magnetic moment on the spacer layer; and
(E) depositing a pin layer on the fixed layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein operation (A) includes:
(A-1) forming a first ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the substrate; and
(A-2) forming a second ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the first ferromagnetic layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein operation (C) includes: forming a roughness on the spacer layer by using ion beam etching.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the roughness formed in operation (C) is a conical shape.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein operation (D) includes:
(D-1) forming a first ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the spacer layer; and
(D-2) forming a second ferromagnetic layer disposed neighboring the first ferromagnetic layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein operation (D) further includes (D-3) forming a coupling layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer.