Spin dependent tunneling barriers formed with a magnetic alloy
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsHugh Craig Hiner, Kyusik Sin, Shin Funada, Xizeng Shi, Hua-Ching Tong
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Abstract
A tunneling barrier for a spin dependent tunneling (SDT) device is disclosed that includes a plurality of ferromagnetic atoms disposed in a substantially homogenous layer. The presence of such atoms in the tunneling barrier is believed to increase a magnetoresistance or ΔR/R response, improving the signal and the signal to noise ratio. Such an increase ΔR/R response also offers the possibility of decreasing an area of the tunnel barrier layer. Decreasing the area of the tunnel barrier layer can afford improvements in resolution of devices such as MR sensors and increased density of devices such as of MRAM cells.
Claims37
A device comprising:
- a first electrode having a magnetic moment with a direction that is substantially fixed in response to an applied magnetic field;
- a second electrode having a magnetic moment with a direction that is variable in response to said applied magnetic field;
- and
- a tunnel barrier layer separating said first and second electrodes, said tunnel barrier layer including a substantially homogenous, primarily dielectric material including a ferromagnetic element in an atomic concentration of less than five percent.
A device comprising:
- a first ferromagnetic layer having a magnetic moment with a direction that is substantially fixed in response to an applied magnetic field;
- a second ferromagnetic layer having a magnetic moment with a direction that is variable in response to said applied magnetic field;
- and
- a dielectric layer separating said first and second ferromagnetic layers and having a thickness of less than three nanometers, said dielectric layer including a ferromagnetic element substantially uniformly dispersed in said dielectric layer at an atomic concentration of less than about five percent.
A device comprising:
- a first electrode including a first magnetic layer having a magnetic moment with a direction that is substantially fixed in response to an applied magnetic field;
- a second electrode including a second magnetic layer having a magnetic moment with a direction that is variable in response to said applied magnetic field;
- and
- a dielectric layer separating said first and second magnetic layers, having a thickness of less than five nanometers and containing a magnetic element substantially uniformly dispersed in an atomic concentration of less than about five percent;
- wherein an electrical current between said electrodes depends upon an orientation of said second magnetic moment relative to that of said first magnetic moment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.