Tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) sensor having a magnesium oxide barrier layer formed by a multi-layer process
US7239489B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 28, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 28, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01F41/18
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) sensor includes a first ferromagnetic (FM) layer (e.g. a sense or reference layer), a barrier layer formed over the first FM layer, and a second FM layer (e.g. a sense or reference layer) formed over the barrier layer. The barrier layer is made of magnesium-oxide (Mg—O). The sense and reference layers of the TMR sensor exhibit controlled magnetic properties, the barrier layer provides a low junction resistance-area product, and the TMR sensor exhibits a high TMR coefficient. The junction resistance is sufficiently low so as to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage to submicron-sized TMR sensors used for magnetic recording at ultrahigh densities.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.