Back to results
US 8,120,126 B2Granted
Magnetic tunnel junction device and fabrication
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsKangho Lee, Xiaochun Zhu, Xia Li, Seung H. Kang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetic tunneling junction device and fabrication method is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes depositing a capping material on a free layer of a magnetic tunneling junction structure to form the capping layer and oxidizing a portion of the capping material to form a layer of oxidized material.
Claims43
An apparatus comprising:
- a magnetic tunneling junction device comprising:
- a barrier layer;
- a free layer;
- and
- a capping layer, wherein the free layer is positioned between the barrier layer and the capping layer, and wherein the capping layer includes a graded portion comprising:
- a first side having a first concentration of a metal greater than a first concentration of an oxidized metal;
- and
- a second side opposite the first side, the second side having a second concentration of the oxidized metal greater than a second concentration of the metal.
5 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a magnetic tunneling junction device comprising:
- a free layer;
- a barrier layer adjacent to the free layer;
- and
- a capping layer adjacent the free layer, wherein the capping layer includes:
- a first layer of a first material,
- a second layer of a second material, wherein the second material includes an oxide of the first material,
- a graded layer, wherein the graded layer comprises the first material and the second material, and
- a buffer layer.
6 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means for storing a data value as an orientation of a magnetic moment that is programmable by a spin polarized current exceeding a threshold current density;
- tunneling barrier means for providing conduction electrons to the means for storing by quantum mechanical tunneling of the conduction electrons through a barrier;
- and
- capping means for reducing a spin pumping effect, wherein the capping means includes a first metal portion, a graded portion, and an oxidized metal portion, wherein the graded portion is positioned intermediate to the first metal portion and the oxidized metal portion, and wherein the means for storing is positioned between the tunneling barrier means and the capping means.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a magnetic tunneling junction device comprising:
- a free layer;
- a barrier layer adjacent to the free layer;
- and
- a capping layer adjacent to the free layer, wherein the capping layer includes:
- a first layer of a first material,
- a second layer of a second material, wherein the first layer is positioned a first distance from the free layer and the second layer is positioned a second distance from the free layer, the second distance greater than the first distance, and
- a buffer layer, wherein the buffer layer is positioned intermediate to the first layer and the free layer.
5 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a magnetic tunneling junction device comprising:
- a free layer;
- a barrier layer adjacent to the free layer;
- and
- a capping layer adjacent to the free layer, wherein the capping layer includes:
- a first layer of a first material,
- a second layer of a second material, wherein the first layer is positioned a first distance from the free layer and the second layer is positioned a second distance from the free layer, the second distance greater than the first distance,
- a graded layer intermediate to the first layer and the second layer, and
- a buffer layer.
6 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a magnetic tunneling junction device comprising:
- a free layer;
- a barrier layer adjacent to the free layer;
- and
- a capping layer adjacent to the free layer, wherein the capping layer includes:
- a first layer of a first material,
- a second layer of a second material, and
- a buffer layer, wherein the buffer layer includes a layer of a substantially non-magnetic metal material comprising tantalum.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.