Spin barrier enhanced magnetoresistance effect element and magnetic memory using the same
US7088609B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 11, 2004 |
| Grant date | Aug 8, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 11, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C11/16
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for providing a magnetic element that can be used in a magnetic memory is disclosed. The magnetic element includes pinned, spacer, free, and spin barrier layers. The spacer layer is nonmagnetic and resides between the pinned and free layers. The free layer can be switched using spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element. The free layer resides between the spacer layer and the spin barrier layer. The spin barrier layer is configured to reduce an outer surface contribution to a damping constant of the free layer. In one aspect, the spin barrier layer has a high areal resistance and may substantially eliminate spin pumping induced damping. In another aspect, the magnetic element also includes a spin accumulation layer between the spin barrier and free layers. The spin accumulation layer has a high conductivity, preferably being metallic, and may have a long spin diffusion length.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.