Patent · US Active

Co/Ni multilayers with improved out-of-plane anisotropy for magnetic device applications

US8987849B2 · kind B2 · utility

35Cited by
6References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 4, 2014
Grant dateMar 24, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 4, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D48/385
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A MTJ for a spintronic device is disclosed and includes a thin seed layer that enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying laminated layer with a (Co/X)n or (CoX)n′ composition where n is from 2 to 30, X is one of V, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru, Au, Cr, Mo, Cu, Ti, Re, Mg, or Si, and CoX is a disordered alloy. The seed layer is preferably NiCr, NiFeCr, Hf, or a composite thereof with a thickness from 10 to 100 Angstroms. Furthermore, a magnetic layer such as CoFeB may be formed between the laminated layer and a tunnel barrier layer to serve as a transitional layer between a (111) laminate and (100) MgO tunnel barrier. The laminated layer may be used as a reference layer, dipole layer, or free layer in a MTJ. Annealing between 300° C. and 400° C. may be used to further enhance PMA in the laminated layer.

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