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US 7,351,483 B2Granted
Magnetic tunnel junctions using amorphous materials as reference and free layers
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorStuart Stephen Papwoth Parkin
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Abstract
Magnetic tunnel junctions are constructed from a MgO or Mg—ZnO tunnel barrier and amorphous magnetic layers in proximity with, and on respective sides of, the tunnel barrier. The amorphous magnetic layer preferably includes Co and at least one additional element selected to make the layer amorphous, such as boron. Magnetic tunnel junctions formed from the amorphous magnetic layers and the tunnel barrier have tunneling magnetoresistance values of up to 200% or more.
Claims69
A structure, comprising:
- a first amorphous magnetic layer including material selected from the group consisting of ferromagnetic materials and ferrimagnetic materials;
- a second amorphous magnetic layer including material selected from the group consisting of ferromagnetic materials and ferrimagnetic materials;
- at least one tunnel barrier selected from the group of tunnel barriers consisting of MgO and Mg—ZnO, wherein the tunnel barrier is located between the first amorphous magnetic layer and the second amorphous magnetic layer;
- and
- an antiferromagnetic layer that exchange biases the second amorphous magnetic layer, wherein the first amorphous magnetic layer, the second amorphous magnetic layer, and the tunnel barrier are in proximity with each other and form a magnetic tunnel junction, thereby enabling spin-polarized current to pass between the first and second amorphous magnetic layers through the tunnel barrier, the magnetic tunnel junction having a tunnel magnetoresistance of at least 100% at room temperature.
2 more elements
A structure, comprising:
- a first amorphous magnetic layer;
- a second amorphous magnetic layer;
- at least one tunnel barrier selected from the group of tunnel barriers consisting of MgO and Mg—ZnO, wherein the tunnel barrier is located between the first amorphous magnetic layer and the second amorphous magnetic layer, and wherein the first amorphous magnetic layer, the second amorphous magnetic layer, and the tunnel barrier are in proximity with each other and form a magnetic tunnel junction, thereby enabling spin-polarized current to pass between the first and second amorphous magnetic layers through the tunnel barrier, the magnetic tunnel junction having a tunnel magnetoresistance of at least 100% at room temperature;
- an additional magnetic layer in proximity with the second amorphous magnetic layer;
- and
- an antiferromagnetic coupling layer that couples the second amorphous magnetic layer and the additional magnetic layer, wherein the additional magnetic layer, the antiferromagnetic coupling layer, and the second amorphous magnetic layer form a synthetic antiferromagnet reference layer.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.