Nitrogenating of Topological Semi-Metal Films to Increase Resistivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026066168-A1
Application number	US-202519311743-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2025
Priority date	Aug 27, 2024
Publication date	Mar 5, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to spintronic material stacks and devices. A spintronic stack comprises an amorphous layer, a texturing layer comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: Ta x W 1-x , where x is from zero to 1, MgO, Ru, Ti, TiN, YPt, B2 alloys X—Al, where X is one of Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, or Ir, CrMo, Ta x W 1-x N, HfN, and Ta x Hf 1-x N, a barrier layer comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: X—AlGe, X—AlGeN, where X is one of Co, Ni, Ru, or Ir, Ta x W 1-x N, HfN, and Ta x Hf 1-x N, and TiN, a YPtBi layer having a (110), (111), or (100) orientation, an interlayer, and a ferromagnetic layer. The texturing barrier layers each individually comprises a material having a high resistivity to minimize shunting, and function as a crystal symmetry transfer layer to provide the a (110), (111), or (100) orientation to the YPtBi layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A spintronic stack, comprising:
an amorphous layer; a buffer layer comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: MgO, Ru, Ti, YPt, CrMo, N, HfN, Ti, TiN, B2 alloys of X—Al, where X is one of Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, or Ir, Ta x Hf 1-x N, Ta x W 1-x , and Ta x W 1-x , where x is from zero to 1; a topological semi-metal (TSM) layer comprising YPtBi having a (110), (100), or (111) orientation; an interlayer; and a ferromagnetic layer.

2 . The spintronic stack of claim 1 , wherein the TSM layer has a (110) orientation.

3 . The spintronic stack of claim 1 , wherein each of the amorphous layer, the buffer layer, the TSM layer, the interlayer, and the ferromagnetic layer comprises nitrogen.

4 . The spintronic stack of claim 1 , wherein the ferromagnetic layer is disposed between the amorphous layer and the TSM layer.

5 . The spintronic stack of claim 1 , further comprising a cap layer, wherein the ferromagnetic layer is disposed between the cap layer and the TSM layer.

6 . The spintronic stack of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a texturing layer and a barrier layer.

7 . The spintronic stack of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous layer comprises CoFeTaN, and wherein the interlayer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: GeN, HfN, YPtBiN, and TiN.

8 . A memory cell comprising the spintronic stack of claim 1 .

9 . A logic cell comprising the spintronic stack of claim 1 .

10 . A magnetic sensor comprising the spintronic stack of claim 1 .

11 . A magnetic recording device comprising the spintronic stack of claim 1 .

12 . A spintronic stack, comprising:
an amorphous layer; a buffer layer disposed on the amorphous layer, the buffer layer comprising:
a texturing layer comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: MgO, Ru, Ti, TiN, YPt, CrMo, HfN, B2 alloys of X—Al, where X is one of Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, or Ir, Ta x W 1-x N, Ta x Hf 1-x N, and Ta x W 1-x , where x is from zero to 1; and
a barrier layer comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: HfN, TiN, X—AlGe, X—AlGeN, where X is one of Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, or Ir, Ta x W 1-x N, and Ta x Hf 1-x N, where x is between 0 and 1;
a topological semi-metal (TSM) layer comprising YPtBi having a (110), (100), or (111) orientation; an interlayer disposed on the TI layer; and a ferromagnetic layer disposed on the interlayer.

13 . The spintronic stack of claim 12 , wherein the amorphous layer comprises CoFeTaN, wherein the ferromagnetic layer comprises CoFeN, CoFeBN, or CoFeNiN, and wherein the interlayer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: GeN, HfN, YPtBiN, and TiN.

14 . The spintronic stack of claim 12 , wherein each of the amorphous layer, the buffer layer, the TSM layer, the interlayer, and the ferromagnetic layer comprises nitrogen.

15 . The spintronic stack of claim 12 , wherein each of the buffer layer and the TSM layer are crystalline.

16 . A memory cell comprising the spintronic stack of claim 12 .

17 . A logic cell comprising the spintronic stack of claim 12 .

18 . A magnetic sensor comprising the spintronic stack of claim 12 .

19 . A magnetic recording device comprising the spintronic stack of claim 12 .

20 . A spintronic stack, comprising:
an amorphous layer; a texturing layer disposed on the amorphous layer, the texturing layer comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: MgO, Ru, Ti, TiN, YPt, CrMo, HfN, B2 alloys of X—Al, where X is one of Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, or Ir, Ta x W 1-x N, Ta x Hf 1-x N, and Ta x W 1-x , where x is from zero to 1; a ferromagnetic layer disposed on the texturing layer; an interlayer disposed on the ferromagnetic layer; a topological semi-metal (TSM) layer comprising YPtBi having a (110), (100), or (111) orientation; and a barrier layer disposed on the TI layer, the barrier layer comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: HfN, TiN, X—AlGe, X—AlGeN, where X is one of Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, or Ir, Ta x W 1-x N, and Ta x Hf 1-x N, where x is between 0 and 1.

21 . The spintronic stack of claim 20 , wherein each of the amorphous layer, the barrier layer, the TSM layer, the interlayer, and the ferromagnetic layer comprises nitrogen.

22 . The spintronic stack of claim 20 , wherein the ferromagnetic layer comprises CoFeN, CoFeBN, or CoFeNiN.

23 . The spintronic stack of claim 20 , wherein the TSM layer comprises YPtBiN having a (110) orientation.

24 . A memory cell comprising the spintronic stack of claim 20 .

25 . A logic cell comprising the spintronic stack of claim 20 .

26 . A magnetic sensor comprising the spintronic stack of claim 20 .

27 . A magnetic recording device comprising the spintronic stack of claim 20 .

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Le Quang
• York Brian R
• Hwang Cherngye
• Liu Xiaoyong
• Le Son T
• Takano Hisashi

Classifications

• H01F10/3268 Primary

  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

• G11B5/3906

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

• H10B61/20

  comprising components having three or more electrodes, e.g. transistors · CPC title

• H10N50/10

  Magnetoresistive devices · CPC title

• H10N50/85 Primary

  Materials of the active region · CPC title