Spin current magnetization reversal-type magnetoresistive effect element and method for producing spin current magnetization reversal-type magnetoresistive effect element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018351084-A1
Application number	US-201615778174-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2016
Priority date	Nov 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

This spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element includes a substrate, a magnetoresistance effect element having a first ferromagnetic metal layer in which a direction of magnetization is fixed, a nonmagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic metal layer configured for a direction of magnetization to be changed, and a cap layer in that order from the substrate side, and a spin-orbit torque wiring extending in a direction intersecting a lamination direction of the magnetoresistance effect element and joined to the cap layer, in which the cap layer includes one or more substances having high spin conductivity selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, Mg, Al, Si, Ge, and GaAs as a major component.

First claim

1 . A spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a substrate; a magnetoresistance effect element provided on the substrate and including a first ferromagnetic metal layer in which a direction of magnetization is fixed, a nonmagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic metal layer configured for a direction of magnetization to be changed, and a cap layer in an order from the substrate side; and a spin-orbit torque wiring extending in a direction intersecting a lamination direction of the magnetoresistance effect element and joined to the cap layer, wherein the cap layer includes one or more substances selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, Mg, Al, Si, Ge, and GaAs as a major component.

2 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the cap layer is equal to or less than a spin diffusion length of a substance constituting the major component of the cap layer.

3 . A spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a magnetoresistance effect element including a first ferromagnetic metal layer in which a direction of magnetization is fixed, a nonmagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic metal layer configured for a direction of magnetization to be changed, and a cap layer in an order; and a spin-orbit torque wiring extending in a direction intersecting a lamination direction of the magnetoresistance effect element and joined to the cap layer, wherein the cap layer has spin conductivity, and the magnetoresistance effect element further includes a diffusion prevention layer between the second ferromagnetic metal layer and the cap layer.

4 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 3 , wherein the diffusion prevention layer has at least one selected from a magnetic element and an element having an atomic number equal to or higher than that of yttrium.

5 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the diffusion prevention layer is equal to or less than four times an atomic radius of an atom constituting the diffusion prevention layer.

6 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes a nonmagnetic metal having an atomic number of 39 or higher having a d electron or an f electron in an outermost shell.

7 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , wherein
the spin-orbit torque wiring is made of: a pure spin current generation part made of a material that generates a pure spin current; and a low resistance part made of a material having electric resistance lower than electrical resistance of the pure spin current generation part, and at least a part of the pure spin current generation part is in contact with the cap layer.

8 . A magnetic memory comprising a plurality of spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect elements according to claim 1 .

9 . A method of manufacturing a spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element comprising the steps of:
forming a laminate in which a first ferromagnetic metal layer in which a direction of magnetization is fixed, a nonmagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic metal layer configured for a direction of magnetization to be changed, a cap layer, and a process protection layer are laminated in an order on a substrate; processing the laminate into a predetermined shape to form a magnetoresistance effect element; and removing the process protection layer and forming a spin-orbit torque wiring on an exposed surface exposed after the removal.

10 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 4 , wherein a thickness of the diffusion prevention layer is equal to or less than four times an atomic radius of an atom constituting the diffusion prevention layer.

11 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 2 , wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes a nonmagnetic metal having an atomic number of 39 or higher having a d electron or an f electron in an outermost shell.

12 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 3 , wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes a nonmagnetic metal having an atomic number of 39 or higher having a d electron or an f electron in an outermost shell.

13 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 4 , wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes a nonmagnetic metal having an atomic number of 39 or higher having a d electron or an f electron in an outermost shell.

14 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 5 , wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes a nonmagnetic metal having an atomic number of 39 or higher having a d electron or an f electron in an outermost shell.

15 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 10 , wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes a nonmagnetic metal having an atomic number of 39 or higher having a d electron or an f electron in an outermost shell.

16 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 2 , wherein
the spin-orbit torque wiring is made of: a pure spin current generation part made of a material that generates a pure spin current; and a low resistance part made of a material having electric resistance lower than electrical resistance of the pure spin current generation part, and at least a part of the pure spin current generation part is in contact with the cap layer.

17 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 3 , wherein
the spin-orbit torque wiring is made of: a pure spin current generation part made of a material that generates a pure spin current; and a low resistance part made of a material having electric resistance lower than electrical resistance of the pure spin current generation part, and at least a part of the pure spin current generation part is in contact with the cap layer.

18 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 4 , wherein
the spin-orbit torque wiring is made of: a pure spin current generation part made of a material that generates a pure spin current; and a low resistance part made of a material having electric resistance lower than electrical resistance of the pure spin current generation part, and at least a part of the pure spin current generation part is in contact with the cap layer.

19 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 5 , wherein
the spin-orbit torque wiring is made of: a pure spin current generation part made of a material that generates a pure spin current; and a low resistance part made of a material having electric resistance lower than electrical resistance of the pure spin current generation part, and at least a part of the pure spin current generation part is in contact with the cap layer.

20 . The spin current magnetization rotational magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 6 , wherein
the spin-orbit torque wiring i

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Sasaki Tomoyuki

Classifications

• H01F10/3286

  Spin-exchange coupled multilayers having at least one layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy · CPC title

• G11C11/1697

  Power supply circuits · CPC title

• H01F10/329

  Spin-exchange coupled multilayers wherein the magnetisation of the free layer is switched by a spin-polarised current, e.g. spin torque effect · CPC title

• G11B5/39

  using magneto-resistive devices {or effects} · CPC title

• H01F10/3254

  the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ] · CPC title