US 2019/0173003 A1 · Minimal Thickness Synthetic Antiferromagnetic (SAF) Structure with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy for STT-MRAM

Abstract

A synthetic antiferromagnetic structure for a spintronic device is disclosed and has an FL2/Co or Co alloy/antiferromagnetic coupling/Co or Co alloy/CoFeB configuration where FL2 is a ferromagnetic free layer with intrinsic PMA. Antiferromagnetic coupling is improved by inserting a Co or Co alloy dusting layer on top and bottom surfaces of the antiferromagnetic coupling layer. The FL2 layer may be a L10 ordered alloy, a rare earth-transition metal alloy, or an (A1/A2)n laminate where A1 is one of Co, CoFe, or an alloy thereof, and A2 is one of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Mg, Mo, Os, Si, V, Ni, NiCo, and NiFe, or A1 is Fe and A2 is V. A method is also provided for forming the synthetic antiferromagnetic structure.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A synthetic antiferromagnetic free layer structure, comprising:

(a) a FL2 layer with intrinsic perpendicular magnetic anisotropy wherein a magnetization direction thereof is perpendicular-to-plane of the FL2 layer;
(b) a CoFeB layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in which a magnetization direction in said CoFeB layer is perpendicular-to-plane of the CoFeB layer and is established by antiferromagnetic coupling with the FL2 layer through an antiferromagnetic coupling layer formed between the FL2 layer and CoFeB layer;
(c) the antiferromagnetic coupling layer that is made of a non-magnetic material;
and
(d) a first Co or Co alloy dusting layer formed between the antiferromagnetic coupling layer and the FL2 layer, and a second Co or Co alloy dusting layer formed between the antiferromagnetic coupling layer and CoFeB layer.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/258,770Filed 28 Jan 2019

Priority

11 Sep 2012

Published

6 Jun 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H10N 50/80
Galvanomagnetic devices: constructional details
G11C 11/161
Using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect: details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the…
H01F 10/123
Being metals or alloys: having a L10 crystallographic structure, e.g. [Co,Fe][Pt,Pd] thin films
H01F 10/3272
The exchange coupling being asymmetric, e.g. by use of additional pinning, by using antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic coupling interface, i.e.…:…

Family

Application13/609,780Division · filed 11 Sep 2012

Application14/489,507Division · filed 18 Sep 2014

Application16/258,770Division

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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Minimal Thickness Synthetic Antiferromagnetic (SAF) Structure with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy for STT-MRAM

Life of this patent

Minimal Thickness Synthetic Antiferromagnetic (SAF) Structure with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy for STT-MRAM

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14