Magnetic element having perpendicular anisotropy with enhanced efficiency

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9082534-B2
Application number	US-201313779734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2013
Priority date	Sep 15, 2009
Publication date	Jul 14, 2015
Grant date	Jul 14, 2015

Abstract

A material composition for forming a free layer in a STT structure (such as a single or dual MTJ structure) can include Co x Fe y M z , where M is a non-magnetic material that assists in forming a good crystalline orientation and matching between the free layer and an MgO interface. The material M preferably either does not segregate to the MgO interface or, if it does segregate to the MgO interface, it does not significantly reduce the PMA of the free layer. The free layer can further include a connecting layer, where M is attracted to the insertion layer during annealing. The free layer can include a graded composition of Co x Fe y M z , where z changes within the free layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A material composition for forming a free layer of a magnetic device, said material composition comprising:
Co x Fe y M z , wherein M is a non-magnetic amorphization agent material selected from the group consisting of: Bi, Li, Be, F, N, and H, to cause a crystalline orientation of the free layer to closely match with an MgO interface of the magnetic device, and
wherein the composition comprises a graded composition in which the concentration z of the non-magnetic material M gradually changes within the free layer.

2. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the material M does not segregate to the MgO interface of the magnetic device during annealing.

3. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the free layer has a Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy (PMA) and wherein the material M does not significantly impair hybridization of Fe and O and therefore does not significantly impair the PMA of the free layer following annealing.

4. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic device comprises a single MTJ structure.

5. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic device comprises a dual MTJ structure.

6. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the free layer comprises a hybrid free layer having two or more sublayers exchange coupled to each other.

7. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration z is highest towards the center of the free layer and lower towards the MgO interface.

8. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the free layer is a single-layer structure.

9. A material composition according to claim 1 , wherein the free layer further comprises a connecting layer, said connecting layer being arranged near the center of the free layer and configured to attract the non-magnetic material M away from the MgO interface.

10. A material composition according to claim 9 , wherein the connecting layer comprises Ta.

11. A free layer in a STT structure having an MgO interface arranged next to the free layer, said free layer comprising:
a material composition comprising Co x Fe y M z , wherein M is a non-magnetic amorphization agent material selected from the group consisting of: Bi, Li, Be, F, N, and H, to cause a crystalline orientation of the free layer to substantially match with the MgO interface; and
a connecting layer arranged within the Co x Fe y M z material composition,
wherein M is attracted to the connecting layer during annealing, and
wherein the material composition comprises a graded composition of Co x Fe y M z , where z gradually changes within the free layer.

12. A free layer according to claim 11 , wherein the connecting layer comprises Ta.

13. A free layer according to claim 11 , wherein the connecting layer is arranged near a center of the free layer.

14. A free layer according to claim 11 , wherein the non-magnetic material M does not segregate to the MgO interface.

15. A magnetic element, comprising:
a fixed layer having a fixed layer magnetization fixed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fixed layer;
a free layer extending in a direction that is parallel with the fixed layer and has a free layer magnetization that is substantially perpendicular to the free layer and has a direction that is changeable relative to the fixed layer magnetization; and
an MgO layer providing an MgO interface between the MgO layer and the free layer,
wherein the free layer comprises:
Co x Fe y M z , wherein M is a non-magnetic amorphization agent material selected from the group consisting of: Bi, Li, Be, F, N, and H, to cause a crystalline orientation of the free layer to substantially match with the MgO interface, and
wherein the material composition comprises a graded composition in which the concentration z of the non-magnetic material M gradually changes within the free layer.

16. A magnetic element according to claim 15 , wherein the material M does not segregate to the MgO interface of the magnetic element during annealing.

17. A magnetic element according to claim 15 , wherein the magnetic element comprises a single MTJ structure.

18. A magnetic element according to claim 15 , wherein the magnetic element comprises a dual MTJ structure.

19. A magnetic element according to claim 15 , wherein the free layer comprises a hybrid free layer having two or more sublayers exchange coupled to each other.

20. A magnetic element according to claim 15 , wherein the concentration z of the non-magnetic material M is highest towards the center of the free layer and gradually decreases towards the MgO interface.

21. A magnetic element according to claim 15 , wherein the free layer is a single-layer structure.

22. A magnetic element according to claim 15 , wherein the free layer further comprises a connecting layer, said connecting layer being arranged near the center of the free layer and configured to attract the non-magnetic material M away from the MgO interface.

Assignees

• Chepulskyy Roman
• Apalkov Dmytro
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chepulskyy Roman
• Apalkov Dmytro

Classifications

• Y10T428/115

  Magnetic layer composition · CPC title

• H01F1/01 Primary

  of inorganic materials (H01F1/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T428/1114

  having tunnel junction effect · CPC title

• H01F10/3254

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

• 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