Patent · US Active

Magnetoresistive element having free layer, pinned layer, and spacer layer disposed therebetween, the spacer layer including semiconductor layer

US7782575B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
7References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 26, 2007
Grant dateAug 24, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 15, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2005/3996
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An MR element includes: a free layer having a direction of magnetization that changes in response to a signal magnetic field; a pinned layer having a fixed direction of magnetization; and a spacer layer disposed between these layers. The spacer layer includes a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer each made of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor layer that is made of a material containing an oxide semiconductor and that is disposed between the first and second nonmagnetic metal layers. The MR element has a resistance-area product within a range of 0.1 to 0.3Ω·μm2, and the spacer layer has a conductivity within a range of 133 to 432 S/cm.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.