Magnetoresistive element with oxygen getting layer having enhanced exchange bias and thermal stability for spintronic devices

Magnetoresistive element comprising a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization;

• a second magnetic layer having a second magnetization;
• a tunnel barrier layer comprised between the first and the second magnetic layers;
• and an antiferromagnetic layer, which comprises manganese, exchanged coupling the second magnetic layer such that the second magnetization is pinned below a critical temperature of the antiferromagnetic layer, and is freely varied when the antiferromagnetic layer is heated above the critical temperature;
• the magnetoresistive element further comprising an oxygen getting layer which comprises material that has better oxygen gettering properties than the antiferromagnetic layer and/or the second magnetic layer, and wherein the oxygen getting layer is arranged in the magnetoresistive element such that it blocks diffusion of manganese from the antiferromagnetic layer into the second magnetic layer, wherein said oxygen gettering layer comprises magnesium and has a thickness of 0.2 nm.