163 results about "Exchange bias" patented technology

The present invention provides an improved top spin valve and method of fabrication. In the preferred embodiment of the top spin valve of the present invention, a seed layer is formed of non-magnetic material having the elements Ni and Cr. In the preferred embodiments, the seed layer material has an ion milling rate comparable to that of the free layer material. This allows free layer sidewalls to be formed with shorter tails, improving free layer-to-magnetic bias layer junction, thus improving free layer domain structure and track width. In one embodiment, the seed layer may have NiFeCr, with Cr from about 20% to 50%. In another embodiment, the seed layer may have NiCr, with about 40%. Some embodiments may have the seed layer formed on an optional Ta pre-seed layer. Such embodiments provide an improved fcc (111) texture particularly for NiFe and for NiFe/CoFe free layers grown on a seed layer improving spin valve performance, and especially in embodiments having very thin NiFe free layers, ultra thin NiFe free layers, and free layers without NiFe, such as a free layer of CoFe. Such a seed layer can improve AFM pinning layer texture to improve the exchange bias, thus providing better thermal stability. Such a seed layer also provides high resistivity and can improve the magnetostriction of adjacent NiFe free layer material or improve the soft properties of an adjacent CoFe free layer.

A CPP-GMR spin value sensor structure with an improved MR ratio and increased resistance is disclosed. All layers except certain pinned layers, copper spacers, and a Ta capping layer are oxygen doped by adding a partial O₂ pressure to the Ar sputtering gas during deposition. Oxygen doped CoFe free and pinned layers are made slightly thicker to offset a small decrease in magnetic moment caused by the oxygen dopant. Incorporating oxygen in the MnPt AFM layer enhances the exchange bias strength. An insertion layer such as a nano-oxide layer is included in one or more of the free, pinned, and spacer layers to increase interfacial scattering. The thickness of all layers except the copper spacer may be increased to enhance bulk scattering. A CPP-GMR single or dual spin valve of the present invention has up to a threefold increase in resistance and a 2 to 3% increase in MR ratio.

A spin-valve thin-film magnetic element includes a substrate, a composite formed thereon, and electrode layers formed on both sides of the composite. The composite includes an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetic layer, a mean-free-path-extending layer, and an exchange bias layer. The mean-free-path-extending layer may be a back layer or a mirror reflective layer. The mean-free-path-extending layer extends the mean free path of spin-up conduction electrons in the spin-valve thin-film magnetic element. This spin-valve thin-film magnetic element meets trends toward a narrower track width.

Patterned, longitudinally and transversely antiferromagnetically exchange biased GMR sensors are provided which have narrow effective trackwidths and reduced side reading. The exchange biasing significantly reduces signals produced by the portion of the ferromagnetic free layer that is underneath the conducting leads while still providing a strong pinning field to maintain sensor stability. In the case of the transversely biased sensor, the magnetization of the free and biasing layers in the same direction as the pinned layer simplifies the fabrication process and permits the formation of thinner leads by eliminating the necessity for current shunting.

A single-crystalline MgO (001) substrate 11 is prepared, and then an epitaxial Fe (001) lower electrode (first electrode) 17 with a thickness of 50 nm is grown on a MgO (001) seed layer 15 at room temperature. Annealing is then performed in ultrahigh vacuum (2×10⁻⁸ Pa) at 350° C. A 2-nm thick MgO (001) barrier layer 21 is epitaxially grown on the Fe (001) lower electrode (first electrode) 17 at room temperature, using electron beam evaporation of MgO. A Fe (001) upper electrode (second electrode) 23 with a thickness of 10 nm is then grown on the MgO (001) barrier layer 21 at room temperature, successively followed by the deposition of a IrMn layer 25 with a thickness of 10 nm on the Fe (001) upper electrode (second electrode) 23. The IrMn layer 25 is used for realizing an antiparallel magnetization alignment by giving an exchange-biasing field to the upper electrode 23. Thereafter, the above-prepared sample is subjected to microfabrication so as to obtain a Fe (001)/MgO (001)/Fe (001) MTJ device with an enhanced MR ratio.

A GMR spin value structure with improved performance and a method for making the same is disclosed. A key feature is the incorporation of a thin ferromagnetic insertion layer such as a 5 Angstrom thick CoFe layer between a NiCr seed layer and an IrMn AFM layer. Lowering the Ar flow rate to 10 sccm for the NiCr sputter deposition and raising the Ar flow rate to 100 sccm for the IrMn deposition enables the seed layer to be thinned to 25 Angstroms and the AFM layer to about 40 Angstroms. As a result, HEX between the AFM and pinned layers increases by up to 200 Oe while the Tb is maintained at or above 250° C. When the seed/CoFe/AFM configuration is used in a read head sensor, a higher GMR ratio is observed in addition to smaller free layer coercivity (H_CF), interlayer coupling (H_E), and H_K values.

The invention discloses a magnetic nano-multilayers structure and the method for making it. The multilayer film includes—sequentially from one end to the other end—a substrate, a bottom layer, a magnetic reference layer, a space layer, a magnetic detecting layer and a cap layer. The, up-stated structure is for convert the information of the rotation of the magnetic moment of the magnetic detecting layer into electrical signals. The magnetic detecting layer is of a pinning structure to react to the magnetic field under detection. On the other hand, the invention sandwiches an intervening layer between the AFM and the FM to mitigate the pinning effect from the exchange bias. Moreover, the thickness of the intervening layer is adjustable to control the pinning effect from the exchange bias. The controllability ensures that the magnetic moments of the magnetic reference layer and the magnetic detecting layer remain at right angles to each other when the external field is zero. The invention achieves a GMR or TMR magnetic sensor exhibiting a linear response and by tuning the thickness of the non-magnetic metallic layer, the sensitivity as well as the detecting range of the devices can be tuned easily.

The present invention provides a magnetic sensing device capable of stably sensing a signal magnetic field with high sensitivity by suppressing occurrence of hysteresis to reduce 1/f noise. A magnetic sensing device has a stacked body including a pinned layer having a magnetization direction pinned to a predetermined direction (Y direction), a free layer having a magnetization direction which changes according to an external magnetic field and, when the external magnetic field is zero, becomes parallel to the magnetization direction of the pinned layer, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the pinned layer and the free layer. The thickness of the intermediate layer is set so that an exchange bias magnetic field becomes positive. Consequently, the magnetization directions are stabilized. When read current is passed in a state where an external magnetic field is applied in a direction orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the pinned layer, occurrence of hysteresis in the relation between a change in the external magnetic field and a resistance change can be suppressed. As a result, 1/f noise is suppressed and a signal magnetic field can be stably sensed with high sensitivity.

A magnetically-coupled structure has two ferromagnetic layers with their in-plane magnetization directions coupled orthogonally across an electrically-conducting spacer layer that induces the direct orthogonal magnetic coupling. The structure has application for in-stack biasing in a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive sensor. One of the ferromagnetic layers of the structure is a biasing ferromagnetic layer and the other ferromagnetic layer is the sensor free layer. An antiferromagnetic layer exchange-couples the biasing layer to fix its moment parallel to the moment of the sensor pinned layer. This allows a single annealing step to be used to set the magnetization direction of the biasing and pinned layers. The electrically-conducting spacer layer, the biasing layer and the antiferromagnetic layer that exchange-couples the biasing layer may all extend beyond the edges of the sensor stack.

A hard bias (HB) structure for biasing a free layer in a MR sensor within a magnetic read head is comprised of a main biasing layer with a large negative magnetostriction (λ_S) value. Compressive stress in the device after lapping induces a strong in-plane anisotropy that effectively provides a longitudinal bias to stabilize the sensor. The main biasing layer is formed between two FM layers, and at least one AFM layer is disposed above the upper FM layer or below the lower FM layer. Additionally, there may be a Ta/Ni or Ta/NiFe seed layer as the bottom layer in the HB structure. Compared with a conventional abutted junction exchange bias design, the HB structure described herein results in higher output amplitude under similar asymmetry sigma and significantly decreases sidelobe occurrence. Furthermore, smaller MRWu with a similar track width is achieved since the main biasing layer acts as a side shield.

The MR ratio of an MTJ device is increased. A single-crystalline MgO (001) substrate 11 is prepared, and then an epitaxial Fe (001) lower electrode (first electrode) 17 with a thickness of 50 nm is grown on a MgO (001) seed layer 15 at room temperature. Annealing is then performed in ultrahigh vacuum (2×10⁻⁸ Pa) at 350° C. A 2-nm thick MgO (001) barrier layer 21 is epitaxially grown on the Fe (001) lower electrode (first electrode) 17 at room temperature, using electron beam evaporation of MgO. A Fe (001) upper electrode (second electrode) 23 with a thickness of 10 nm is then grown on the MgO (001) barrier layer 21 at room temperature, which is successively followed by the deposition of a Co layer 21 with a thickness of 10 nm on the Fe (001) upper electrode (second electrode) 23. The Co layer 21 is used for realizing an antiparallel magnetization alignment by enhancing an exchange bias magnetic field of the upper electrode 23. Thereafter, the above-prepared sample is subjected to microfabrication so as to obtain a Fe (001)/MgO (001)/Fe (001) MTJ device. The density of dislocation defects that exist at the interface between one of the first or the second Fe (001) layer and the single-crystalline MgO (001) layer is not more than 25 to 50 defects/μm.

A method for implementing miniaturization of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and a magnetic memory using single domain switching by direct current are provided. The magnetic memory preferably includes a half-circle or U-shaped architecture with an exchange biasing pad, such as a FeMn exchange biasing pad that effectively generates a head-to-head magnetization configuration. The magnetic memory also includes nanometer scale notches in order to minimize magnetostatic interaction between a single domain memory element and the spin current sources and to effectively trap the magnetic domain wall. Reading the bit can be carried out by anisotropic magnetoresistance, or by other means of determining the magnetization orientation through resistance measurements, such as a spin valve or a magnetic tunneling junction.

A magnetoresistive read/write head includes an integral top and side shields deposited on top of and substantially surrounding the multiple layers of the MR sensor stack. Such a design is particularly advantageous in CPP designs in which the only spacing necessary between the side shields and the bottom shield is due to a gap layer. The integral top and side shields design works both with CPP heads having pile bias stabilization as well as those having permanent magnet abutted junctions or patterned exchange bias stabilization. In addition, the design is also advantageous in CIP heads having permanent magnet abutted junctions or patterned exchange bias stabilization. In this latter embodiment, it may be possible to reduce the profile of the permanent magnet and any conductors to increase the efficacy of the side shields.

A seed layer is formed containing Cr and an element X (wherein the element X is Fe, Ni, etc.) on a substrate layer formed from Ta, etc. At this time, the compositional ratio of the aforementioned Cr is specified to be 80 at % or more, and the seed layer is formed to have a film thickness of 20 Å or more, but 130 Å or less. According to this, the wettability of the seed layer surface can be improved remarkably compared to that heretofore attained, the unidirectional exchange bias magnetic field and rate of resistance change in the fixed magnetic layer can be increased, and it becomes possible to make the smoothness of the surface of each layer on the aforementioned seed layer excellent.

The invention belongs to the technical field of magnetic materials and devices and relates to a magnetic recording technology, in particular to an exchange bias field-type spin valve. The invention provides a double exchange bias field-type spin valve, which is composed of a substrate, a buffer layer, an antiferromagnetic layer AFM1, a ferromagnetic layer F1, a separator, a ferromagnetic layer F2, an antiferromagnetic layer AFM2 and a coating layer, wherein an exchange bias field Hex1 is generated between the antiferromagnetic layer AFM1 and the ferromagnetic layer F1 along the membrane surface; and an exchange bias filed Hex2 in the opposite direction to Hex1 is also generated between the antiferromagnetic layer AFM2 and the ferromagnetic layer F2 along the membrane surface. Due to the double exchange bias field, the exchange bias field range of the spin valve can be expanded at room temperature so as to widen the high-resistance region of the spin valve, thereby facilitating the improvement of the stability of the exchange bias field-type spin valve in information storage or other applications. In addition, the double exchange bias field-type spin valve can be fabricated at room temperature without high-temperature annealing, and has the advantages of good membrane stability and high giant magnetoresistance.

A recording medium including a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a laminated SUL formed on a substrate is provided. The SUL includes an antiferromagnetic layer interposed between laminated structures including a magnetic layer, a non-magnetic layer and a magnetic layer. The layers may each have a thickness of 20 nm or less and the layers below the antiferromagnetic layer may be thinner than the layers on the antiferromagnetic layer. The laminated structures formed on and below the antiferromagnetic layer have unidirectional magnetic anisotropies set in the opposite radial direction to each other by an exchange bias. As a result, media magnetic domain noise can be diminished.

This invention belongs to the technical field of magnetic recording, specifically is a spin valve with vertical magnetic anisotropy. Ferromagnetic layers of upper, middle and lower adopt Co/Ni multi-layer film structure and are made by utilizing a method of magnetron sputtering to deposit under the normal temperature. The Co/Ni multi-layer film includes the feature of a preferred direction of magnetization vertical with a film surface because of larger surface and interface anisotropy, and the properties, such as the coefficient of the magnetic vertical anisotropy, the coercive force can be modulated through thicknesses, periodicity and buffer layer of layers of Co, Ni. In addition, Co and Ni are the magnetic materials and have bigger spin polarizability. A whole spin valve and a pseudo spin valve GMR signal can achieve 5/4 to 7.7%; and the exchange bias field of the whole spin valve can achieve more than 4500e, and the thermal stability can achieve 250 degrees centigrade. This invention has an important application value in the computer hard disk reading head, MRAM and the other spin electronic apparatuses.

A magnetoresistive sensor having improved pinning field strength. The sensor includes a pinned layer structure pinned by exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer. The AFM layer is constructed upon an under layer having treated surface with an anisotropic roughness. The anisotropic roughness, produced by an angled ion etch, results in improved pinning strength. The underlayer may include a seed layer and a thin layer of crystalline material such as PtMn formed over the seed layer. The magnetic layer may include a first sub-layer of NiFeCr and a second sub-layer of NiFe formed there over. The present invention also includes a magnetoresistive sensor having a magnetic layer deposited on an underlayer (such as a non-magnetic spacer) having a surface treated with an anisotropic texture. An AFM layer is then deposited over the magnetic layer. The magnetic layer is then strongly pinned by a combination of exchange coupling with the AFM layer and a strong anisotropy provided by the surface texture of the underlayer. Such a structure can be used for example in a sensor having a pinned layer structure formed above the free layer, or in a sensor having an in stack bias structure.

A soft magnetic underlayer includes a first amorphous soft magnetic layer to which an exchange bias magnetic field is applied directly from an antiferromagnetic layer or via a ferromagnetic layer, and a second amorphous soft magnetic layer which is formed on the first amorphous soft magnetic layer via a non-magnetic layer. The first amorphous soft magnetic layer and the second amorphous soft magnetic layer are antiferromagnetically coupled.