Co/Ni multilayers with improved out-of-plane anisotropy for magnetic device applications
AssigneeMagIC Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGuenole Jan, Ru-Ying Tong, Yu-Jen Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A MTJ for a spintronic device is disclosed and includes a thin seed layer that enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying laminated layer with a (Co/X)n or (CoX)n composition where n is from 2 to 30, X is one of V, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru, Au, Cr, Mo, Cu, Ti, Re, Mg, or Si, and CoX is a disordered alloy. A CoFeB layer may be formed between the laminated layer and a tunnel barrier layer to serve as a transitional layer between a (111) laminate and (100) MgO tunnel barrier. The laminated layer may be used as a reference layer, dipole layer, or free layer in a MTJ. Annealing between 300° C. and 400° C. may be used to further enhance PMA in the laminated layer.
Claims13
A magnetic element, comprising:
- (a) a seed layer comprising one or more of Hf, NiCr, and NiFeCr that enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying laminated layer;
- and
- (b) the laminated layer having intrinsic PMA and comprising a multilayer stack of two metals, a metal and alloy, or two alloys represented by (A1/A2)n where A1 is Co or CoFe, A2 is a metal or alloy selected from X, CoX, and FeX where X is one of V, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru, Au, Cr, Mo, Cu, Ti, Re, Mg, and Si, CoX is a disordered alloy, and n is the number of laminates in the stack, the laminated layer contacts a top surface of the seed layer, or the laminated layer has an (A1/C/A2) configuration where C is a non-magnetic spacer.
A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), comprising:
- (a) a reference layer formed on a substrate;
- (b) a tunnel barrier layer contacting a top surface of the reference layer;
- (c) a free layer formed on the tunnel barrier layer;
- (d) a first non-magnetic spacer contacting a top surface of the free layer;
- and
- (e) a dipole layer contacting a top surface of the non-magnetic spacer, the dipole layer has a lower underlayer comprising one or more of Hf, NiFeCr, and NiCr, and an upper laminated layer that has intrinsic perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and has a composition represented by (Co/X)n or (CoX)n structure wherein X is one of V, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru, Au, Cr, Mo, Cu, Ti, Re, Mg, and Si, CoX is a disordered alloy, and n is the number of laminates in the stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.