Magnetoresistance effect element and magnetic recording array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12225830-B2
Application number	US-202117542647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2021
Priority date	Feb 19, 2020
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A magnetoresistance effect element includes a magnetic recording layer which includes a ferromagnetic material, a non-magnetic layer laminated on the magnetic recording layer, and a magnetization reference layer which is laminated on the non-magnetic layer. The magnetic recording layer includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a spacer layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer in order from the non-magnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other. The magnetic recording layer has a central region in which a product of a film thickness and saturation magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer is greater than a product of a film thickness and saturation magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer, and an outer region in which the product of the film thickness and the saturation magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer is smaller than the product of the film thickness and the saturation magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetoresistance effect element, comprising:
a magnetic recording layer which includes a ferromagnetic material;
a non-magnetic layer which is laminated on the magnetic recording layer; and
a magnetization reference layer which is laminated on the non-magnetic layer,
wherein the magnetic recording layer has a first ferromagnetic layer, a spacer layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer in order from the non-magnetic layer,
the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are antiferromagnetically coupled,
the magnetic recording layer has
a central region in which a product of a film thickness and a saturation magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer is greater than a product of a film thickness and a saturation magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer, and
an outer region in which the product of the film thickness and the saturation magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer is smaller than the product of the film thickness and the saturation magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer, and

the outer region is located outside the central region in a plan view from a laminating direction.

2. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second ferromagnetic layer projects outward from the first ferromagnetic layer in a plan view from the laminating direction.

3. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer region is located at an end portion in a first direction in which the magnetic recording layer extends.

4. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer separated from each other in a first direction in which the magnetic recording layer extends and being connected to the magnetic recording layer,
wherein at least one portion of the first conductive layer and at least one portion of the second conductive layer overlap the central region in a plan view from the laminating direction.

5. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer separated from each other in a first direction in which the magnetic recording layer extends and being connected to the magnetic recording layer,
wherein the first conductive layer overlaps the outer region in a plan view from the laminating direction, and
the second conductive layer overlaps the central region in a plan view from the laminating direction.

6. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer region is located at an end portion in a second direction intersecting a first direction in which the magnetic recording layer extends.

7. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer region is located at both an end portion in a first direction in which the magnetic recording layer extends and an end portion in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

8. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein a portion of the outer region does not include the first ferromagnetic layer.

9. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first ferromagnetic layer has a first region having a film thickness as a first film thickness and a second region having a film thickness different from the first film thickness, and
the second region is located outside the first region in a plan view from the laminating direction.

10. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spacer layer covers an entirety of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic layer on the first ferromagnetic layer side.

11. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein a sidewall of the magnetic recording layer is inclined with respect to the laminating direction, and
sidewalls of the first ferromagnetic layer, the spacer layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer are continuous.

12. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a spin-orbit torque wiring being in contact with a surface of the magnetic recording layer on an opposite side of the non-magnetic layer.

13. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 12 ,
wherein the outer region is located at an end portion in a direction different from a direction in which the spin-orbit torque wiring extends.

14. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein a length from a boundary between the outer region and the central region to an end portion of the outer region is equal to or smaller than 10 times a film thickness of the first ferromagnetic layer in the central region.

15. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first ferromagnetic layer consists of a plurality of layers,
the plurality of layers include a plurality of ferromagnetic layers and a second spacer layer between the plurality of ferromagnetic layers, and
the plurality of ferromagnetic layers are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other.

16. The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a magnetic domain wall inside the magnetic recording layer.

17. A magnetic recording array having a plurality of the magnetoresistance effect elements according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Yamada Shogo
• Ota Minoru
• Shibata Tatsuo

Classifications

• H10N50/85

  Materials of the active region · CPC title

• H10N50/01

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10B61/22

  of the field-effect transistor [FET] type · CPC title

• G11C11/161 Primary

  details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell · CPC title

• H10D48/40

  Devices controlled by magnetic fields · CPC title