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US 7,726,008 B2Granted
Method of forming a magnetic-field sensor having magnetic nanoparticles
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsCharles T. Black, Stephen M. Gates, Christopher B. Murray, Robert L. Sandstrom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic-field sensor device comprises at least two electrodes; an insulating layer separating the at least two electrodes; at least one layer of chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles disposed at or above a level with the insulating layer, and disposed between the at least two electrodes; and an organic spacer surrounding each of the chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles. A deviation between diameters of different ones of the nanoparticles is less than 15%. Moreover, the chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles range in size between 2 nm and 20 nm in diameter.
Claims16
A method of forming a magnetic-field sensor device, said method comprising:
- depositing a first electrode onto a substrate;
- depositing an electrically insulating layer on said first electrode;
- removing a portion of said electrically insulating layer to expose a region of said first electrode;
- after said removing of said portion of said electrically insulating layer, depositing a single layer of chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles on said electrically insulating layer and said exposed region of said first electrode, wherein a height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles is equal to a depth of said insulating layer;
- depositing a second electrode on said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles and said electrically insulating layer, wherein said first and second electrodes comprise an electrically conducting and magnetic material and are separated by a distance in said exposed region equal to a thickness of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles;
- and
- orienting said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles with a magnetic-moment orientation parallel to a direction of a current flow through said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles,
- wherein said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles each comprise an organic spacer which electrically isolates the nanoparticles from each other and acts as a tunnel barrier for electrons between said first and second electrodes, and
- wherein said electrically insulating layer is deposited on said first electrode to a thickness equal to said height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles.
6 more elements
A method of forming a magnetic-field sensor device, said method comprising:
- depositing a first electrode onto a substrate;
- depositing an electrically insulating layer on said first electrode;
- removing a portion of said electrically insulating layer to expose a region of said first electrode;
- after said removing of said portion of said electrically insulating layer, depositing a single layer of chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles on said electrically insulating layer and said exposed region of said first electrode, wherein a height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles is equal to a depth of said insulating layer;
- depositing a second electrode on said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles and said electrically insulating layer, wherein said first and second electrodes comprise an electrically conducting and magnetic material and are separated by a distance in said exposed region equal to a thickness of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles;
- orienting said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles with a magnetic-moment orientation parallel to a direction of a current flow through said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles;
- and
- removing said substrate,
- wherein a deviation between diameters of different ones of said nanoparticles is less than 15%,
- wherein said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles each comprise an organic spacer which electrically isolates the nanoparticles from each other and acts as a tunnel barrier for electrons between said first and second electrodes, and
- wherein said electrically insulating layer is deposited on said first electrode to a thickness equal to said height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles.
8 more elements
A method of forming a magnetic-field sensor device, said method comprising:
- depositing a first electrode onto a substrate;
- depositing an electrically insulating layer on said first electrode;
- removing a portion of said electrically insulating layer to expose a region of said first electrode;
- after said removing of said portion of said electrically insulating layer, depositing a single layer of chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles on said electrically insulating layer and said exposed region of said first electrode, wherein said depositing of said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles comprises depositing chemically-synthesized nanoparticles comprising a maximum diameter of 4.9 nm, and wherein a height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles is equal to a depth of said insulating layer;
- depositing a second electrode on said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles and said electrically insulating layer, wherein said first and second electrodes comprise an electrically conducting and magnetic material and are separated by a distance in said exposed region equal to a thickness of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles;
- and
- orienting said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles with a magnetic-moment orientation parallel to a direction of a current flow through said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles,
- wherein said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles each comprise an organic spacer which electrically isolates the nanoparticles from each other and acts as a tunnel barrier for electrons between said first and second electrodes, and
- wherein said electrically insulating layer is deposited on said first electrode to a thickness equal to said height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles.
6 more elements
A method of forming a magnetic-field sensor device, said method comprising:
- depositing a first electrode onto a substrate;
- depositing an electrically insulating layer on said first electrode;
- removing a portion of said electrically insulating layer to expose a region of said first electrode;
- after said removing of said portion of said electrically insulating layer, depositing a single layer of chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles on said electrically insulating layer and said exposed region of said first electrode, wherein a height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles is equal to a depth of said insulating layer;
- depositing a second electrode on said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles and said electrically insulating layer, wherein said first and second electrodes comprise an electrically conducting and magnetic material and are separated by a distance in said exposed region equal to a thickness of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles;
- and
- orienting said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles with a magnetic-moment orientation perpendicular to a direction of a current flow through said chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles,
- wherein said chemically-synthesized nanoparticles each comprise an organic spacer which electrically isolates the nanoparticles from each other and acts as a tunnel barrier for electrons between said first and second electrodes, and
- wherein said electrically insulating layer is deposited on said first electrode to a thickness equal to said height of said single layer of chemically-synthesized nanoparticles.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.