Magnetoresistive element
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsYuzo Kamiguchi, Masashi Sahashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetoresistive element comprises an n-type emitter layer, a p-type base layer, and an n-type collector layer, the three layers being so arranged as to form a pn-junction with each other, an emitter ferromagnetic layer formed in contact with the n-type emitter layer, a base ferromagnetic layer formed in contact with the p-type base layer, a power source for applying, by way of the emitter ferromagnetic layer, a forward bias voltage between the n-type emitter layer and the p-type base layer, a power source for applying a backward bias voltage to the n-type collector layer and the p-type base layer and a power source for applying, by way of the base ferromagnetic layer, a bias voltage so as to inject minority carriers into the p-type base layer.
Claims15
A magnetoresistive element comprising:
- a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, said first, second and third semiconductor layers being so arranged as to form a pn-junction with each other;
- a first ferromagnetic layer formed in contact with the first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type;
- a second ferromagnetic layer formed in contact with the second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type;
- a first power source for applying, by way of the first ferromagnetic layer, a forward bias voltage between the first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type and the second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type;
- a second power source for applying a backward bias voltage between the third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type and the second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type;
- and
- a third power source for applying, by way of the second ferromagnetic layer, a bias voltage so as to inject minority carriers into the second semiconductor layer.
A magnetoresistive element comprising:
- a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second magnetic semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, said first, second and third semiconductor layers being so arranged as to form a pn-junction with each other;
- and
- a ferromagnetic layer formed in contact with the first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.