Giant perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Fe/GaN thin films for data storage and memory devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11031167-B2
Application number	US-201816193929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Nov 21, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A giant perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) material comprises a III-V nitride substrate, and a layer of nitrogen disposed upon a surface of the III-V nitride substrate. The layer of nitrogen forms an N-terminated surface. The PMA material further comprises an iron film disposed upon the N-terminated surface. The III-V nitride substrate may be gallium nitride (GaN). A memory device using the PMA material may further comprise an input/output interface configured to communicate an address signal, a read/write signal and a data signal. The memory device may further comprise a controller configured to coordinate reading data from and writing data to the memory element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A giant perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) material, comprising:
a III-V nitride substrate;
a layer of nitrogen disposed upon a (000 1 ) surface of the III-V nitride substrate, the layer of nitrogen forming a (000 1 ) nitrogen terminated (N-terminated) surface; and
an iron film disposed upon the (000 1 ) N-terminated surface.

2. The giant PMA material of claim 1 , wherein the III-V nitride is gallium nitride (GaN).

3. The giant PMA material of claim 1 , wherein the layer of nitrogen is a wurtzite GaN (000 1 ) N-terminated surface.

4. The giant PMA material of claim 1 , wherein the layer of nitrogen is a monolayer of nitrogen atoms.

5. The giant PMA material of claim 1 , wherein the iron film is less than or equal to three monolayers of iron atoms.

6. A method of fabricating a giant PMA material, comprising:
exposing a (000 1 ) surface of a III-V nitride substrate to an atmosphere configured to provide a source of nitrogen, to dispose a layer of nitrogen on the (000 1 ) surface of the III-V nitride substrate, the layer of nitrogen forming an (000 1 ) N-terminated surface;
disposing an iron film upon the (000 1 ) N-terminated surface.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the atmosphere is configured to provide a source of nitrogen comprises an atmosphere of nitrogen.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the atmosphere is configured to provide a source of nitrogen comprising an atmosphere of excessive NH 3 .

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising sample annealing the III-V nitride substrate in the atmosphere of excessive NH 3 .

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising heating III-V nitride substrate to a temperature of 1000° C., while exposing the III-V nitride substrate to a nitrogen plasma.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising reducing the III-V nitride substrate to a temperature of 685° C., thereby initiating growth of the N-terminated surface.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the III-V nitride is gallium nitride (GaN).

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the layer of nitrogen is a wurtzite GaN (000 1 ) N-terminated surface.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the layer of nitrogen is a monolayer of nitrogen atoms.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the iron film is less than or equal to three monolayers of iron atoms.

16. A memory device, comprising:
a memory element comprising:
a III-V nitride substrate;
a layer of nitrogen disposed upon a (000 1 ) surface of the III-V nitride substrate, the layer of nitrogen forming an (000 1 ) N-terminated surface; and
an iron film disposed upon the (000 1 ) N-terminated surface;

an input/output interface configured to communicate an address signal, a read/write signal and a data signal; and
a controller configured to coordinate reading data from and writing data to the memory element.

17. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the III-V nitride is gallium nitride (GaN).

18. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the layer of nitrogen is a wurtzite GaN (000 1 ) N-terminated surface.

19. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the layer of nitrogen is a monolayer of nitrogen atoms.

20. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the iron film is less than or equal to three monolayers of iron atoms.

Assignees

• Univ New Hampshire

Inventors

• Zang Jiadong
• Yu Jiexiang

Classifications

• H10P95/00

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H01F10/14 Primary

  containing iron or nickel ({H01F10/126} , H01F10/13, H01F10/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10N50/85

  Materials of the active region · CPC title

• G01N29/022

  Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices (microdevices per se B81B) · CPC title

• H01F10/28

  characterised by the composition of the substrate · CPC title