Magnetic elements with spin engineered insertion layers and MRAM devices using the magnetic elements

A magnetic element comprising:

• a pinned layer;
• a spacer layer, the spacer layer being nonmagnetic;
• a free layer, the spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer;
• wherein at least one of the pinned layer, the spacer layer, and the free layer includes an internal spin engineered layer configured to more strongly scatter majority electrons than minority electrons, the internal spin engineered layer including at least one of a single metal, RuX, and CoFeY, wherein X includes at least one of Os, Ir, Rh, Re, Mn, Cr, and V, Y includes at least one of Ru, Os, Ir, Rh, Re, Mn, Cr, and V and wherein the metal includes at least one of Os, Ir, Re, Mn, Mo, and W;
• and
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element;
• wherein the free layer includes the internal spin engineered layer.

A magnetic element comprising:

• a pinned layer;
• a spacer layer, the spacer layer being nonmagnetic;
• a free layer, the spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer;
• wherein the free layer includes an internal spin engineered layer configured to more strongly scatter majority electrons than minority electrons, a ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the spacer layer, and a Cu layer, at least one of the internal spin engineered layer residing between the Cu layer and the ferromagnetic layer and the Cu layer residing between the ferromagnetic layer and the spin engineered layer, the internal spin engineered layer including Co(Fe)Ru or at least one bilayer of Co/Ru, the ferromagnetic layer residing between the internal spin engineered layer and the spacer layer, the free layer consisting of the Cu layer, the ferromagnetic layer, and the spin engineered layer;
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

A magnetic element comprising:

• a pinned layer;
• a spacer layer, the spacer layer being nonmagnetic and being a spin engineered layer configured to more strongly scatter majority electrons than minority electrons;
• a free layer, the spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer;
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

A magnetic element comprising:

• a spin engineered pinned layer;
• a barrier layer;
• a free layer, the barrier layer residing between the spin engineered pinned layer and the free layer;
• a spin engineered spacer layer, the free layer residing between the barrier layer and the spin engineered spacer layer;
• and
• a pinned layer, the spin engineered spacer layer residing between the free layer and the pinned layer;
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

A method for fabricating magnetic element comprising:

• providing a pinned layer;
• providing a spacer layer, the spacer layer being nonmagnetic;
• providing a free layer, the spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer;
• providing a spin engineered layer adjacent to the free layer, the spin engineered layer being configured to more strongly scatter majority electrons than minority electrons;
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element;
• and
• wherein the free layer is a simple free layer and the magnetic element includes only a single pinned layer, the single pinned layer being the pinned layer, the magnetic element including ferromagnetic layers only in at least one of the pinned layer, the free layer, and the spin engineered layer.

A method for fabricating a magnetic element comprising:

• providing a spin engineered pinned layer;
• providing a barrier layer;
• providing a free layer, the barrier layer residing between the spin engineered pinned layer and the free layer;
• providing a spin engineered spacer layer, the free layer residing between the barrier layer and the spin engineered spacer layer;
• and
• providing a pinned layer, the spin engineered spacer layer residing between the free layer and the pinned layer;
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.