摘要:
A CPP-GMR spin valve having a composite spacer layer comprised of at least one metal (M) layer and at least one semiconductor or semi-metal (S) layer is disclosed. The composite spacer may have a M/S, S/M, M/S/M, S/M/S, M/S/M/S/M, or a multilayer (M/S/M)n configuration where n is an integer≧1. The pinned layer preferably has an AP2/coupling/AP1 configuration wherein the AP2 portion is a FCC trilayer represented by CoZFe(100-Z)/FeYCo(100-Y)/CoZFe(100-Z) where y is 0 to 60 atomic %, and z is 75 to 100 atomic %. In one embodiment, M is Cu with a thickness from 0.5 to 50 Angstroms and S is ZnO with a thickness of 1 to 50 Angstroms. The S layer may be doped with one or more elements. The dR/R ratio of the spin valve is increased to 10% or greater while maintaining acceptable EM and RA performance.
摘要翻译:公开了具有由至少一个金属(M)层和至少一个半导体或半金属(S)层组成的复合间隔层的CPP-GMR自旋阀。 复合间隔物可以具有M / S,S / M,M / S / M,S / M / S,M / S / M / S / M或多层(M / S / M) 是整数≧1。 钉扎层优选具有AP2 /耦合/ AP1配置,其中AP2部分是由CoZFe(100-Z)/ FeYCo(100-Y)/ CoZFe(100-Z)表示的FCC三层,其中y为0至60原子% ,z为75〜100原子%。 在一个实施方案中,M是厚度为0.5至50埃的Cu,S是厚度为1至50埃的ZnO。 S层可以掺杂有一个或多个元素。 自旋阀的dR / R比提高到10%以上,同时保持可接受的EM和RA性能。
摘要:
A high performance TMR sensor is fabricated by incorporating a tunnel barrier having a Mg/MgO/Mg configuration. The 4 to 14 Angstroms thick lower Mg layer and 2 to 8 Angstroms thick upper Mg layer are deposited by a DC sputtering method while the MgO layer is formed by a NOX process involving oxygen pressure from 0.1 mTorr to 1 Torr for 15 to 300 seconds. NOX time and pressure may be varied to achieve a MR ratio of at least 34% and a RA value of 2.1 ohm-um2. The NOX process provides a more uniform MgO layer than sputtering methods. The second Mg layer is employed to prevent oxidation of an adjacent ferromagnetic layer. In a bottom spin valve configuration, a Ta/Ru seed layer, IrMn AFM layer, CoFe/Ru/CoFeB pinned layer, Mg/MgO/Mg barrier, CoFe/NiFe free layer, and a cap layer are sequentially formed on a bottom shield in a read head.
摘要:
A high performance TMR sensor is fabricated by employing a free layer with a trilayer configurations represented by FeCo/CoFeB/CoB, FeCo/CoB/CoFeB, FeCo/CoFe/CoB, or FeCo/FeB/CoB may also be employed. Alternatively, CoNiFeB or CoNiFeBM formed by co-sputtering CoB with CoNiFe or CoNiFeM, respectively, where M is V, Ti, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, or Mo may be included in a composite free layer or as a single free layer in the case of CoNiFeBM. A 15 to 30% in improvement in TMR ratio over a conventional CoFe/NiFe free layer is achieved while maintaining low Hc and RA
摘要:
High Hc (>4,000 Oe) and high Hk (>1 Tesla) has been achieved in FePt films as thin as 70 Angstroms. This was accomplished by starting with a relatively thick film having the required high coercivity, coating it with a suitable material such as Ta, and then using ion beam etching to remove surface material until the desired thickness was reached.
摘要:
An insertion layer is provided between an AFM layer and an AP2 pinned layer in a GMR or TMR element to improve exchange coupling properties by increasing Hex and the Hex/Hc ratio without degrading the MR ratio. The insertion layer may be a 1 to 15 Angstrom thick amorphous magnetic layer comprised of at least one element of Co, Fe, or Ni, and at least one element having an amorphous character selected from B, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Si, or P, or a 1 to 5 Angstrom thick non-magnetic layer comprised of Cu, Ru, Mn, Hf, or Cr. Preferably, the content of the one or more amorphous elements in the amorphous magnetic layer is less than 40 atomic %. Optionally, the insertion layer may be formed within the AP2 pinned layer. Examples of an insertion layer are CoFeB, CoFeZr, CoFeNb, CoFeHf, CoFeNiZr, CoFeNiHf, and CoFeNiNbZr.
摘要:
A high performance TMR sensor is fabricated by incorporating a tunnel barrier having a Mg/MgO/Mg configuration. The 4 to 14 Angstroms thick lower Mg layer and 2 to 8 Angstroms thick upper Mg layer are deposited by a DC sputtering method while the MgO layer is formed by a NOX process involving oxygen pressure from 0.1 mTorr to 1 Torr for 15 to 300 seconds. NOX time and pressure may be varied to achieve a MR ratio of at least 34% and a RA value of 2.1 ohm-um2. The NOX process provides a more uniform MgO layer than sputtering methods. The second Mg layer is employed to prevent oxidation of an adjacent ferromagnetic layer. In a bottom spin valve configuration, a Ta/Ru seed layer, IrMn AFM layer, CoFe/Ru/CoFeB pinned layer, Mg/MgO/Mg barrier, CoFe/NiFe free layer, and a cap layer are sequentially formed on a bottom shield in a read head.
摘要:
A laminated high moment film with a non-AFC configuration is disclosed that can serve as a seed layer for a main pole layer or as the main pole layer itself in a PMR writer. The laminated film includes a plurality of (B/M) stacks where B is an alignment layer and M is a high moment layer. Adjacent (B/M) stacks are separated by an amorphous layer that breaks the magnetic coupling between adjacent high moment layers and reduces remanence in a hard axis direction while maintaining a high magnetic moment and achieving low values for Hch, Hce, and Hk. The amorphous material layer may be made of an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride of one or more of Hf, Zr, Ta, Al, Mg, Zn, Ti, Cr, Nb, or Si, or may be Hf, Zr, Ta, Nb, CoFeB, CoB, FeB, or CoZrNb. Alignment layers are FCC soft ferromagnetic materials or non-magnetic FCC materials.
摘要:
A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element is provided. The magneto-resistance effect element includes a first magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material, a second magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the spacer layer having an insulating layer and a conductive portion penetrating through the insulating layer. The method includes: forming a film to be a base material of the spacer layer; performing a first treatment using a gas including at least one of oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, oxygen ions, oxygen plasma and oxygen radicals on the film; and performing a second treatment using a gas including at least one of hydrogen molecules, hydrogen atoms, hydrogen ions, hydrogen plasma, hydrogen radicals, deuterium molecules, deuterium atoms, deuterium ions, deuterium plasma and deuterium radicals on the film submitted to the first treatment.
摘要:
A composite free layer having a FL1/insertion/FL2 configuration where a top surface of FL1 is treated with a weak plasma etch is disclosed for achieving enhanced dR/R while maintaining low RA, and low λ in TMR or GMR sensors. The weak plasma etch removes less than about 0.2 Angstroms of FL1 and is believed to modify surface structure and possibly increase surface energy. FL1 may be CoFe, CoFe/CoFeB, or alloys thereof with Ni, Ta, Mn, Ti, W, Zr, Hf, Tb, or Nb having a (+) λ value. FL2 may be CoFe, NiFe, or alloys thereof having a (−) λ value. The thin insertion layer includes at least one magnetic element such as Co, Fe, and Ni, and at least one non-magnetic element selected from Ta, Ti, W, Zr, Hf, Nb, Mo, V, Cr, or B. When CoFeBTa is selected as insertion layer, the CoFeB:Ta ratio is from 1:1 to 4:1.
摘要:
A composite seed layer that reduces the shield to shield distance in a read head while improving Hex (exchange coupling field) and Hex/Hc (Hc=coercivity) is disclosed and has a SM/A/SM/B configuration in which the SM layers are soft magnetic layers, the A (amorphous) layer is made of at least one of Co, Fe, Ni, and includes one or more amorphous elements, and the B layer is a buffer layer that contacts the AFM (anti-ferromagnetic) layer in the spin valve. The SM/A/SM stack together with the S1 (bottom) shield forms an effective shield such that the buffer layer serves as the effective seed layer while maintaining a blocking temperature of 260° C. in the AFM layer. The lower SM layer may be omitted. Examples of the amorphous layer are CoFeB, CoFeZr, CoFeNb, CoFeHf, CoFeNiZr, CoFeNiHf, and CoFeNiNbZr while the buffer layer may be Cu, Ru, Cr, Al, or NiFeCr.
摘要翻译:公开了一种复合种子层,其在改进Hex(交换耦合场)和Hex / Hc(Hc =矫顽力)的同时减小了读头中的屏蔽距离,并具有SM / A / SM / B配置,其中SM层 是软磁性层,A(非晶)层由Co,Fe,Ni中的至少一种构成,并且包括一个或多个非晶元素,并且B层是与AFM(反铁磁)层接触的缓冲层 在自旋阀中。 SM / A / SM堆叠与S1(底部)屏蔽件形成有效屏蔽,使得缓冲层用作有效种子层,同时在AFM层中保持260℃的阻挡温度。 可以省略下层SM层。 非晶层的实例是CoFeB,CoFeZr,CoFeNb,CoFeHf,CoFeNiZr,CoFeNiHf和CoFeNiNbZr,而缓冲层可以是Cu,Ru,Cr,Al或NiFeCr。