公开(公告)号：US07345855B2

公开(公告)日：2008-03-18

申请号：US11221624

申请日：2005-09-07

申请人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

发明人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

IPC分类号： G11B5/127

CPC分类号： G01R33/093 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y40/00 ,  G01R33/098 ,  H01F10/187 ,  H01F10/3254 ,  H01F10/3295 ,  H01F41/307 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/12

摘要： Magnetic tunnel junctions are disclosed that include ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) materials and a bilayer tunnel barrier structure that includes a layer of a rare earth oxide. The bilayer also includes a layer of crystalline material, such as MgO or Mg—ZnO. If MgO is used, then it is preferably (100) oriented. The magnetic tunnel junctions so formed enjoy high tunneling magnetoresistance, e.g., much greater than 100% at room temperature.

摘要翻译： 公开了包括铁磁（或亚铁磁）材料和包括稀土氧化物层的双层隧道势垒结构的磁隧道结。 双层还包括一层结晶材料，例如MgO或Mg-ZnO。 如果使用MgO，则优选（100）取向。 如此形成的磁性隧道结具有高隧道磁阻，例如在室温下大大超过100％。

公开(公告)号：US07313013B2

公开(公告)日：2007-12-25

申请号：US10990401

申请日：2004-11-18

申请人： Jonathan Zanhong Sun ,  Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

发明人： Jonathan Zanhong Sun ,  Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

IPC分类号： G11C11/00

CPC分类号： G11C11/16 ,  G11C11/161

摘要： A spin-current switchable magnetic memory element (and method of fabricating the memory element) includes a plurality of magnetic layers having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy component, at least one of the plurality of magnetic layers including an alloy of a rare-earth metal and a transition metal, and at least one barrier layer formed adjacent to at least one of the plurality of magnetic layers.

摘要翻译： 自旋电流可切换磁存储元件（及其制造方法）包括具有垂直磁各向异性分量的多个磁性层，所述多个磁性层中的至少一个包括稀土类金属和 过渡金属以及与所述多个磁性层中的至少一个相邻形成的至少一个阻挡层。

公开(公告)号：US07252852B1

公开(公告)日：2007-08-07

申请号：US10982075

申请日：2004-11-05

申请人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

发明人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

IPC分类号： B05D5/12

CPC分类号： G11C11/16 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y40/00 ,  G01R33/093 ,  G01R33/098 ,  H01F10/3254 ,  H01F10/3268 ,  H01F10/3281 ,  H01F10/329 ,  H01F10/3295 ,  H01F41/307 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/12 ,  Y10T428/1114 ,  Y10T428/1143 ,  Y10T428/115 ,  Y10T428/1157

摘要： ZnMg oxide tunnel barriers are grown which, when sandwiched between ferri- or ferromagnetic layers, form magnetic tunnel junctions exhibiting high tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR). The TMR may be increased by annealing the magnetic tunnel junctions. The zinc-magnesium oxide tunnel barriers may be incorporated into a variety of other devices, such as magnetic tunneling transistors and spin injector devices. The ZnMg oxide tunnel barriers are grown by first depositing a zinc and/or magnesium layer onto an underlying substrate in oxygen-poor (or oxygen-free) conditions, and subsequently depositing zinc and/or magnesium onto this layer in the presence of reactive oxygen.

摘要翻译： 生长ZnMg氧化物隧道势垒，当夹在铁或铁磁层之间时，形成表现出高隧道磁阻（TMR）的磁隧道结。 可以通过退火磁隧道结来增加TMR。 锌镁氧化物隧道势垒可以并入到各种其它器件中，例如磁性隧道晶体管和旋转注射器装置。 通过首先在无氧（或无氧）条件下将锌和/或镁层沉积到下面的衬底上，随后在活性氧存在下将锌和/或镁沉积到该层上来生长ZnMg氧化物隧道势垒 。

公开(公告)号：US07230265B2

公开(公告)日：2007-06-12

申请号：US10908530

申请日：2005-05-16

申请人： Christian Kaiser ,  Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

发明人： Christian Kaiser ,  Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

IPC分类号： H01L29/06 ,  H01L29/08 ,  H01L39/00

CPC分类号： H01L43/10 ,  H01L43/08

摘要： A tunnel barrier in proximity with a layer of a rare earth element-transition metal (RE—TM) alloy forms a device that passes negatively spin-polarized current. The rare earth element includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb. The RE and TM have respective sub-network moments such that the absolute magnitude of the RE sub-network moment is greater than the absolute magnitude of the TM sub-network moment. An additional layer of magnetic material may be used in combination with the tunnel barrier and the RE—TM alloy layer to form a magnetic tunnel junction. Still other layers of tunnel barrier and magnetic material may be used in combination with the foregoing to form a flux-closed double tunnel junction device.

摘要翻译： 靠近稀土元素 - 过渡金属（RE-TM）合金层的隧道势垒形成通过负自旋极化电流的装置。 稀土元素包括选自Gd，Tb，Dy，Ho，Er，Tm和Yb中的至少一种元素。 RE和TM具有相应的子网络时刻，使得RE子网络时刻的绝对幅度大于TM子网络时刻的绝对幅度。 可以与隧道势垒和RE-TM合金层结合使用附加的磁性材料层以形成磁性隧道结。 隧道势垒和磁性材料的其它层可以与前述结合使用以形成通量封闭双隧道结装置。

公开(公告)号：US06326637B1

公开(公告)日：2001-12-04

申请号：US09420213

申请日：1999-10-18

申请人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin ,  Mahesh Govind Samant

发明人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin ,  Mahesh Govind Samant

IPC分类号： H01L2906

CPC分类号： H01F10/3268 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11B5/3909 ,  G11B2005/3996 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/10

摘要： An antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled structure for use in various types of magnetic devices, such as magnetic tunnel junctions and spin-valve giant magnetoresistance recording heads, includes an antiferromagnetic layer formed of an alloy of osmium and manganese, wherein the osmium is present in the range of approximately 10 to 30 atomic %. The antiferromagnetic layer is deposited on a non-reactive underlayer, preferably one formed of a noble metal, such as platinum, palladium or alloys thereof. The antiferromagnetic material provides a strong exchange biasing for the ferromagnetic layer that is deposited on the antiferromagnetic layer. Iridium may be added to the osmium-manganese alloy, wherein the total of osmium and iridium is in the range of the approximately 10 to 30 atomic %, to increase the blocking temperature of the antiferromagnetic material. A template layer of permalloy (nickel-iron alloy) may be formed between the underlayer and the antiferromagnetic layer to improve the growth of the osmium-manganese alloy. The resulting antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled structure exhibits very high thermal stability, i.e., the magnetoresistance of magnetic tunnel junction devices is retained even during relatively high annealing process temperatures. This allows magnetic tunnel junction devices using the structure to be used as memory cells in magnetic random access memory arrays that are formed on substrates with electronic circuitry formed by conventional high-temperature CMOS processes and which require high temperature anneals of the completed memory chips.

摘要翻译： 用于各种磁性装置（例如磁性隧道结和自旋阀巨磁电阻记录头）的反铁磁交换耦合结构包括由锇和锰合金形成的反铁磁层，其中锇存在于该范围内 约10至30原子％。 反铁磁层沉积在非反应性底层上，优选由贵金属形成的铂，钯或其合金形成。 反铁磁材料为沉积在反铁磁层上的铁磁层提供强的交换偏置。 铱可以添加到锇锰合金中，其中锇和铱的总和在大约10至30原子％的范围内，以增加反铁磁性材料的封闭温度。 可以在底层和反铁磁层之间形成坡莫合金（镍 - 铁合金）的模板层，以改善锇锰合金的生长。 所得到的反铁磁交换耦合结构表现出非常高的热稳定性，即即使在相对高的退火工艺温度下，磁性隧道结装置的磁阻仍然保持。 这允许使用该结构的磁隧道结器件用作磁性随机存取存储器阵列中的存储器单元，其形成在具有由常规高温CMOS工艺形成的电子电路的衬底上，并且需要完成的存储器芯片的高温退火。

公开(公告)号：US5764567A

公开(公告)日：1998-06-09

申请号：US758614

申请日：1996-11-27

申请人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

发明人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

IPC分类号： G01R33/06 ,  G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  G11C11/15 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01F10/08 ,  H01F10/16 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01L21/8246 ,  H01L27/105 ,  H01L43/00 ,  H01L43/08

CPC分类号： B82Y25/00 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G01R33/093 ,  G01R33/098 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01F10/3254 ,  H01F10/3268 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01F41/325

摘要： A magnetic tunnel junction device, usable as a memory cell or an external magnetic field sensor, has a tunneling magnetoresistance response, as a function of applied magnetic field, that is substantially symmetric about zero field. The magnetic tunnel junction is made up of two ferromagnetic layers, one of which has its magnetic moment fixed and the other of which has its magnetic moment free to rotate, an insulating tunnel barrier layer between the ferromagnetic layers for permitting tunneling current perpendicularly through the layers, and a nonferromagnetic layer located at the interface between the tunnel barrier layer and one of the ferromagnetic layers. The nonferromagnetic layer increases the spacing between the tunnel barrier layer and the ferromagnetic layer at the interface and thus reduces the magnetic coupling between the fixed and free ferromagnetic layers, which has been determined to be the cause of unsymmetric tunneling magnetoresistance response about zero field. Even though the nonferromagnetic interface layer presents nonspin-polarized electronic states at the tunnel barrier layer interface, it unexpectedly does not cause a suppression of the tunneling magnetoresistance.

摘要翻译： 可用作存储单元或外部磁场传感器的磁性隧道结器件具有作为施加磁场的函数的隧道磁阻响应，其基本上对称关于零场。 磁性隧道结由两个铁磁层组成，其中一个铁磁体的磁矩固定，另一个磁矩具有其自由旋转的磁矩，铁磁层之间的绝缘隧道势垒层允许隧穿电流垂直穿过层 以及位于隧道势垒层与一个铁磁层之间的界面处的非铁磁层。 非铁磁层增加了界面处的隧道势垒层和铁磁层之间的间隔，从而减小了固定和自由铁磁层之间的磁耦合，这被确定为关于零场的不对称隧道磁阻响应的原因。 尽管非铁磁界面层在隧道势垒层界面处呈现非极化极化的电子状态，但意外地不会导致隧道磁阻的抑制。

公开(公告)号：US5640343A

公开(公告)日：1997-06-17

申请号：US618004

申请日：1996-03-18

申请人： William Joseph Gallagher ,  James Harvey Kaufman ,  Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin ,  Roy Edwin Scheuerlein

发明人： William Joseph Gallagher ,  James Harvey Kaufman ,  Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin ,  Roy Edwin Scheuerlein

IPC分类号： G11C11/15 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01L21/8246 ,  H01L27/22 ,  G11C13/00

CPC分类号： H01L27/224 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G11C11/15 ,  G11C11/16

摘要： A nonvolatile magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is an array of individual magnetic memory cells. Each memory cell is a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and a diode electrically connected in series. Each MTJ is formed of a pinned ferromagnetic layer whose magnetization direction is prevented from rotating, a free ferromagnetic layer whose magnetization direction is free to rotate between states of parallel and antiparallel to the fixed magnetization of the pinned ferromagnetic layer, and an insulating tunnel barrier between and in contact with the two ferromagnetic layers. Each memory cell has a high resistance that is achieved in a very small surface area by controlling the thickness, and thus the electrical barrier height, of the tunnel barrier layer. The memory cells in the array are controlled by only two lines, and the write currents to change the magnetic state of an MTJ, by use of the write currents' inherent magnetic fields to rotate the magnetization of the free layer, do not pass through the tunnel barrier layer. All MTJ elements, diodes, and contacts are vertically arranged at the intersection regions of the two lines and between the two lines to minimize the total MRAM surface area. The power expended to read or sense the memory cell's magnetic state is reduced by the high resistance of the MTJ and by directing the sensing current through a single memory cell.

摘要翻译： 非易失磁性随机存取存储器（MRAM）是单个磁存储单元阵列。 每个存储单元是磁性隧道结（MTJ）元件和串联电连接的二极管。 每个MTJ由其磁化方向被阻止旋转的被钉扎的铁磁层形成，一个自由铁磁层，其磁化方向在被固定的铁磁层的固定磁化平行和反平行的状态之间自由旋转;以及绝缘隧道势垒 并与两个铁磁层接触。 每个存储单元具有通过控制隧道势垒层的厚度以及因此控制电势势垒高度而在非常小的表面积中实现的高电阻。 阵列中的存储单元仅由两条线控制，并且通过使用写入电流的固有磁场来旋转自由层的磁化，改变MTJ的磁状态的写入电流不会通过 隧道势垒层。 所有MTJ元件，二极管和触点垂直布置在两条线和两条线之间的交叉区域，以最小化总MRAM表面积。 消耗读取或感测存储单元的磁状态的功率被MTJ的高电阻降低，并通过将感测电流引导通过单个存储单元。

公开(公告)号：US08687415B2

公开(公告)日：2014-04-01

申请号：US13543090

申请日：2012-07-06

申请人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin ,  Luc Thomas ,  See-Hun Yang

发明人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin ,  Luc Thomas ,  See-Hun Yang

IPC分类号： G11C11/14

CPC分类号： H01L43/10 ,  G11C11/161 ,  H01F1/0072 ,  H01F10/3218 ,  H01F10/3286 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/12

摘要： Magnetic wires that include two antiferromagnetically coupled magnetic regions show improved domain wall motion properties, when the domain walls are driven by pulses of electrical current. The magnetic regions preferably include Co, Ni, and Pt and exhibit perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, thereby supporting the propagation of narrow domain walls. The direction of motion of the domain walls can be influenced by the order in which the wire's layers are arranged.

摘要翻译： 当畴壁由电流脉冲驱动时，包括两个反铁磁耦​​合磁区的磁线显示改善的畴壁运动特性。 磁性区域优选包括Co，Ni和Pt并表现出垂直的磁各向异性，从而支持窄畴壁的传播。 畴壁的运动方向可能受布线布线顺序的影响。

公开(公告)号：US20090324814A1

公开(公告)日：2009-12-31

申请号：US12554420

申请日：2009-09-04

申请人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

发明人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

IPC分类号： B05D5/12

CPC分类号： H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/10 ,  H01L43/12

摘要： MgO tunnel barriers are formed by depositing a thin layer of Mg on a suitable underlayer, and then directing oxygen and additional Mg towards the Mg layer. The oxygen reacts with the additional Mg and the Mg in the Mg layer to form a MgO tunnel barrier that enjoys excellent tunneling characteristics. The MgO tunnel barriers so formed may be used in magnetic tunnel junctions having tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) values of greater than 100%. The highest TMR values are observed for junctions that have been annealed and that have a (100) crystallographic orientation.

摘要翻译： 通过在合适的底层上沉积薄层的Mg，然后将氧和附加的Mg导向Mg层，形成MgO隧道势垒。 氧与Mg层中的附加Mg和Mg反应形成具有优异隧道特性的MgO隧道势垒。 如此形成的MgO隧道势垒可用于具有大于100％的隧道磁阻（TMR）值的磁隧道结。 观察到已经退火并具有（100）晶体取向的结的最高TMR值。

公开(公告)号：US07570463B2

公开(公告)日：2009-08-04

申请号：US12146286

申请日：2008-06-25

申请人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

发明人： Stuart Stephen Papworth Parkin

IPC分类号： G11B5/39

CPC分类号： G11B5/3909 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  B82Y25/00 ,  G01R33/06 ,  G11B5/3903 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01L43/08

摘要： Magnetic tunnel junctions are disclosed that include ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) materials and a bilayer tunnel barrier structure. The bilayer includes a crystalline material, such as MgO or Mg—ZnO, and Al2O3, which may be amorphous. If MgO is used, then it is preferably (100) oriented. The magnetic tunnel junctions so formed enjoy high tunneling magnetoresistance, e.g., greater than 100% at room temperature.

摘要翻译： 公开了包括铁磁（或亚铁磁）材料和双层隧道势垒结构的磁隧道结。 双层包括结晶材料，例如MgO或Mg-ZnO，Al 2 O 3可以是无定形的。 如果使用MgO，则优选（100）取向。 如此形成的磁隧道结在室温下享有高隧道磁阻，例如大于100％。