Magnetoresistance effect element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021286028-A1
Application number	US-202117164958-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A magnetoresistance effect element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer; and a second non-magnetic layer, wherein, the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are formed so that at least one of them includes a Heusler alloy layer, the first non-magnetic layer is provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the second non-magnetic layer is in contact with any surface of the Heusler alloy layer and has a discontinuous portion with respect to a lamination surface, and the second non-magnetic layer is made of a material different from that of the first non-magnetic layer and is a (001)-oriented oxide containing Mg.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer; a first non-magnetic layer; and a second non-magnetic layer, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are formed so that at least one of them includes a Heusler alloy layer, the first non-magnetic layer is provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the second non-magnetic layer is in contact with any surface of the Heusler alloy layer and has a discontinuous portion with respect to a lamination surface, and the second non-magnetic layer is made of a material different from that of the first non-magnetic layer and is a (001)-oriented oxide containing Mg.

2 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein an area ratio occupied by the second non-magnetic layer in a plan view from a lamination direction is 10% or more and 80% or less.

3 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 2 ,
wherein an area ratio occupied by the second non-magnetic layer in the plan view from the lamination direction is 20% or more and 60% or less.

4 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the Heusler alloy layer is mainly oriented in a (001) direction.

5 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second non-magnetic layer contains one or more element selected from a group consisting of Al, Ga, Ti, and Ni.

6 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the Heusler alloy layer is represented by a composition formula Co 2 Y α Z β , wherein the Y is one or more elements selected from a group consisting of Fe, Mn, and Cr, wherein the Z is one or more elements selected from a group consisting of Si, Al, Ga, and Ge, and wherein α+β>2 is satisfied.

7 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 6 ,
wherein the Y is Fe and the Z is Ga and Ge.

8 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the Heusler alloy layer is represented by a composition formula Co 2 Fe α Ga β1 Ge β2 , and wherein α+β1+β2≥2.3, α<β1+β2, 0.5<α<1.9, 0.1≤β1, and 0.1≤β2 are satisfied.

9 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first non-magnetic layer is a metal or alloy containing one or more element selected from a group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag, Al, and Cr.

10 . The magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate, wherein the substrate is an underlying layer on which the first ferromagnetic layer, the second ferromagnetic layer, the first non-magnetic layer, and the second non-magnetic layer are laminated, and wherein the substrate is amorphous.

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Ichikawa Shinto
• INUBUSHI Kazuumi
• Nakada Katsuyuki

Classifications

• G11B5/3909

  Arrangements using a magnetic tunnel junction · CPC title

• G01R33/098

  comprising tunnel junctions, e.g. tunnel magnetoresistance sensors · CPC title

• H10N50/85

  Materials of the active region · CPC title

• G01R33/1292

  Measuring domain wall position or domain wall motion · CPC title

• G11B5/3906

  Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects · CPC title