Magnetoresistive sensor based on spin accumulation effect with free layer stabilized by in-stack orthogonal magnetic coupling
US7298597B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 29, 2005 |
| Grant date | Nov 20, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N50/10
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetoresistive sensor based on the spin accumulation effect has an in-stack biasing structure with a ferromagnetic biasing layer that is magnetically-coupled orthogonally with the sensor free ferromagnetic layer across a spacer layer. The sensor has an electrically conductive strip with a first tunnel barrier and a free ferromagnetic layer on the front or sensing end of the strip and second tunnel barrier and a fixed ferromagnetic layer on the back end of the strip. A magnetically-coupling spacer layer is formed on the free layer and the ferromagnetic biasing layer is formed on the spacer layer. The magnetically-coupling layer induces direct orthogonal magnetic coupling between the in-plane magnetization directions of the biasing layer and the free layer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.