Magnetoresistance effect element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11309115-B2
Application number	US-202016777036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2019
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A magnetoresistance effect element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, in which at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer contains a metal compound having a half-Heusler type crystal structure, the metal compound contains a functional material, and X atoms, Y atoms, and Z atoms which form a unit lattice of the half-Heusler type crystal structure, and the functional material has an atomic number lower than an atomic number of any of the X atoms, the Y atoms, and the Z atoms.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a first ferromagnetic layer;
a second ferromagnetic layer; and
a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer; wherein
at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer contains a metal compound having a half-Heusler type crystal structure,
the metal compound contains a functional material, and X atoms, Y atoms, and Z atoms which form a unit lattice of the half-Heusler type crystal structure, and
the functional material has an atomic number lower than an atomic number of any of the X atoms, the Y atoms, and the Z atoms,
wherein the functional material is one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of B and C,
the metal compound has a crystal structure of an A2 structure, a C1 b structure or a B2 structure.

2. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein
the functional material is boron, and
a composition proportion of the functional material in the metal compound is 0.1 at % or more and 9.8 at % or less.

3. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein
the functional material is carbon, and
a composition proportion of the functional material in the metal compound is 0.11 at % or more and 8.8 at % or less.

4. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein
the X atoms are one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Ir, Pt, and Au,
the Y atoms are one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, Gd, Tb, Dy, Hd, Er, Fe, Tm, Yb, and Lu, and
the Z atoms are one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Ga, Ge, As, In, Sn, Sb, Tl, Pd, Bi, Se, and Te.

5. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 4 , wherein
the X atoms are one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of Ni, Pd, Pt, Co, and Rh,
the Y atoms are one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of Mn, Cr, Fe, and V, and
the Z atoms are one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of Se, Te, and Sb.

6. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein the metal compound has a crystal structure of a C1 b structure or a B2 structure.

7. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer contains a metal compound having a half-Heusler type crystal structure, and the other thereof contains a metal compound having a full-Heusler type crystal structure, and
the metal compound having a full-Heusler type crystal structure contains the X atoms, the Y atoms, and the Z atoms.

8. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 7 , wherein
the metal compound having a full-Heusler type crystal structure is expressed by a compositional formula Co 2 L α M β ,
L atoms include at least one of Mn and Fe atoms,
M atoms include at least one of Al, Si, Ge, and Ga atoms,
α satisfies 0.7<α<1.6, and
β satisfies 0.65<β<1.35.

9. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , comprising:
an insertion layer between at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, wherein
the insertion layer contains Co, Fe, or a CoFe alloy.

10. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 9 , wherein a film thickness of the insertion layer is 0.2 nm or more and 1.2 nm or less.

11. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer is a metal.

12. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 11 , wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer is Ag or an Ag alloy.

13. A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a first ferromagnetic layer;
a second ferromagnetic layer; and
a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer; wherein
at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer contains a metal compound having a half-Heusler type crystal structure,
the metal compound contains a functional material, and X atoms, Y atoms, and Z atoms which form a unit lattice of the half-Heusler type crystal structure; and
the functional material has an atomic number lower than an atomic number of any of the X atoms, the Y atoms, and the Z atoms, wherein
the functional material is nitrogen, and
a composition proportion of the functional material in the metal compound is 0.09 at % or more and 7.2 at % or less,
the metal compound has a crystal structure of an A2 structure, a C1 b structure or a B2 structure,
the functional material penetrates between lattices of the half-Heusler type crystal structure.

14. A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a first ferromagnetic layer;
a second ferromagnetic layer; and
a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer; wherein
at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer contains a metal compound having a half-Heusler type crystal structure,
the metal compound contains a functional material, and X atoms, Y atoms, and Z atoms which form a unit lattice of the half-Heusler type crystal structure; and
the functional material has an atomic number lower than an atomic number of any of the X atoms, the Y atoms, and the Z atoms, wherein
the functional material is fluorine, and
a composition proportion of the functional material in the metal compound is 0.13 at % or more and 7.2 at % or less.

15. A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a first ferromagnetic layer;
a second ferromagnetic layer; and
a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer; wherein
at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer contains a metal compound having a half-Heusler type crystal structure,
the metal compound contains a functional material, and X atoms, Y atoms, and Z atoms which form a unit lattice of the half-Heusler type crystal structure; and
the functional material has an atomic number lower than an atomic number of any of the X atoms, the Y atoms, and the Z atoms, wherein
the functional material is one or more of atoms selected from the group consisting of Li, Be, O, Na and Mg.

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Nakada Katsuyuki

Classifications

• G01R33/093

  using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors (thin magnetic films H01F10/00) · CPC title

• H01F10/193 Primary

  Magnetic semiconductor compounds {(in general H01F1/40; multilayers, e.g. superlattices H01F10/3213)} · CPC title

• H01F10/325

  the spacer being noble metal · CPC title

• H01F10/3268

  the exchange coupling being asymmetric, e.g. by use of additional pinning, by using antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic coupling interface, i.e. so-called spin-valve [SV] structure, e.g. NiFe/Cu/NiFe/FeMn · CPC title

• H01F10/324

  Exchange coupling of magnetic film pairs via a very thin non-magnetic spacer, e.g. by exchange with conduction electrons of the spacer · CPC title