A method for generating a skyrmion, comprising: depositing a vertical metallic nanopillar electrode on a first side of a helimagnetic thin film, the helimagnetic thin film having a contact on a second side to provide a current drain; injecting a current through the vertical metallic nanopillar electrode to generate a rotating field; and applying a static upward magnetic field perpendicular to the helimagnetic thin film to maintain an FM phase background.

A read sensor that includes a free layer having a magnetization that changes according to an external magnetic field. The read sensor also includes an additional magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer. The non-magnetic layer may include a corrugated surface facing the additional magnetic layer. The corrugated surface is configured to enhance uniaxial anisotropy in the read sensor.

A method of fabricating fluxgate devices to measure the magnetic field in two orthogonal, in plane directions, by using a composite-anisotropic magnetic core structure.

Switchable antiferromagnetic (AFM) memory devices are provided based on an active material, Fe.sub.xNbS.sub.2, where x> and Fe.sub.xNbS.sub.2 where x<, that exhibits the ability to manipulate spin information non-locally i.e. tens of microns away from the electrical stimulus. Spin information can be transported and stored non-locally in the Fe.sub.xNbS.sub.2 material. The devices leverage two long range effects: collective excitations to carry spin and strong magnetoelastic coupling to allow complex domain structures to propagate over large distances. The application of current pulses across the material can rotate or switch the AFM order between multiple directions. Non-local resistance measurements can detect the orientation of the AFM order as high or low resistance states. The state of the device can be set by input current pulses, and read-out by the resistance measurement, forming a non-volatile, AFM memory storage bit.

Switchable antiferromagnetic (AFM) memory devices are provided based on an active material, Fe.sub.xNbS.sub.2, where x> and Fe.sub.xNbS.sub.2 where x<, that exhibits the ability to manipulate spin information non-locally i.e. tens of microns away from the electrical stimulus. Spin information can be transported and stored non-locally in the Fe.sub.xNbS.sub.2 material. The devices leverage two long range effects: collective excitations to carry spin and strong magnetoelastic coupling to allow complex domain structures to propagate over large distances. The application of current pulses across the material can rotate or switch the AFM order between multiple directions. Non-local resistance measurements can detect the orientation of the AFM order as high or low resistance states. The state of the device can be set by input current pulses, and read-out by the resistance measurement, forming a non-volatile, AFM memory storage bit.

A magnetoresistive random-access memory cell includes a substrate; a sub-monolayer nitride layer, outward of the substrate, having a sub-monolayer nitride layer thickness less than 10 Angstroms; and a templating layer, outward of the sub-monolayer nitride layer, and including a binary alloy having an alternating layer lattice structure. A Heusler layer is located outward of the templating layer. The Heusler layer includes a Heusler compound and exhibits perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). A tunnel barrier is outward of the Heusler layer, and a magnetic layer is outward of the tunnel barrier. In an alternative aspect, instead of the sub-monolayer nitride layer, a tantalum nitride layer with a thickness of 10 Angstroms+10% is employed.

A magnetoresistive random-access memory cell includes a substrate; a sub-monolayer nitride layer, outward of the substrate, having a sub-monolayer nitride layer thickness less than 10 Angstroms; and a templating layer, outward of the sub-monolayer nitride layer, and including a binary alloy having an alternating layer lattice structure. A Heusler layer is located outward of the templating layer. The Heusler layer includes a Heusler compound and exhibits perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). A tunnel barrier is outward of the Heusler layer, and a magnetic layer is outward of the tunnel barrier. In an alternative aspect, instead of the sub-monolayer nitride layer, a tantalum nitride layer with a thickness of 10 Angstroms+10% is employed.

A read sensor that includes an unbalanced synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer structure. The unbalanced SAF free layer structure includes a first magnetic layer having a first magnetic moment value and a second magnetic layer having a second magnetic moment value that is different from the first magnetic moment value. A separation layer is included between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer are antiferromagnetically coupled.

A read sensor that includes an unbalanced synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer structure. The unbalanced SAF free layer structure includes a first magnetic layer having a first magnetic moment value and a second magnetic layer having a second magnetic moment value that is different from the first magnetic moment value. A separation layer is included between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer are antiferromagnetically coupled.

This disclosure provides various methods for improved etching of spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) structures. In one example, the method includes (1) ion beam etch of the stack just past the MTJ at near normal incidence, (2) a short clean-up etch at a larger angle in a windowed mode to remove any redeposited material along the sidewall that extends from just below the MTJ to just above the MTJ, (3) deposition of an encapsulant with controlled step coverage to revert to a vertical or slightly re-entrant profile from the tapered profile generated by the etch steps, (4) ion beam etch of the remainder of the stack at near normal incidence while preserving the encapsulation along the sidewall of the MTJ, (5) clean-up etch at a larger angle and windowed mode to remove redeposited materials from the sidewalls, and (6) encapsulation of the etched stack.