The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory element including a magnetic free layer structure that includes two magnetic free layers separated by a magnesium perpendicular enhancement layer; an insulating tunnel junction layer formed adjacent to the magnetic free layer structure; a first magnetic reference layer formed adjacent to the insulating tunnel junction layer; a second magnetic reference layer separated from the first magnetic reference layer by a non-magnetic perpendicular enhancement layer; an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the second magnetic reference layer; and a magnetic fixed layer structure formed adjacent to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. The two magnetic free layers have a same variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof. The first and second magnetic reference layers have a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof. The magnetic fixed layer structure has a second invariable magnetization direction substantially opposite to the first invariable magnetization direction.

The disclosed technology generally relates to a magnetoresistive device and more particularly to a magnetoresistive device comprising chromium. According to an aspect, a method of forming a magnetoresistive device comprises forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure over a substrate. The MTJ structure includes, in a bottom-up direction away from the substrate, a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a reference layer. The method additionally includes forming a pinning layer over the MTJ structure, wherein the pinning layer pins a magnetization direction of the reference layer. The method additionally includes forming capping layer comprising chromium (Cr) over the pinning layer. The method further includes annealing the capping layer under a condition sufficient to cause diffusion of Cr from the capping layer into at least the pinning layer. According to another aspect, a magnetoresistive device is formed according to the method.

A spin-orbit torque device is described. The spin-orbit torque device comprising an interfacing layer and a magnetic layer having a switchable magnetization direction. An interface is formed between the interfacing layer and the magnetic layer, the interface having a 3m1 crystallographic point group symmetry adapted to interact with an electric current to generate a spin torque for switching the magnetization direction of the magnetic layer. A method for fabricating the spin-orbit device and a method for switching the switchable magnetization of a spin-orbit torque device are also described.

Disclosed herein is a stress sensor that includes a stress detection layer including a laminated body including a first ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer stacked one on another. The antiferromagnetic layer includes Mn, and the magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer is fixed by the exchange bias caused by the exchange coupling with the antiferromagnetic layer. The stress sensor detects a stress by an electric resistance depending upon a relative angle between magnetization directions of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the relative angle changing depending upon an externally applied stress.

A perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnetic (pSAF) structure and method of making such a structure is disclosed. The pSAF structure can be a first high perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy (PMA) multilayer and a second high PMA layer separated by a thin Ruthenium layer. Each PMA layer can be a first cobalt layer and a second cobalt layer separated by a nickel/cobalt multilayer. After each of the first and second PMA layers and the Ruthenium exchange coupling layer are deposited, the resulting structure goes through a high temperature annealing step, which results in each of the first and second PMA layers having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic device comprising a magnetoresistive effect element, wherein the magnetoresistive effect element includes: a first ferromagnetic body, a second ferromagnetic body, and a first rare-earth ferromagnetic oxide that is provided between the first ferromagnetic body and the second ferromagnetic body and magnetically joins the first ferromagnetic body and the second ferromagnetic body.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are for systems and methods for fabrication of a magnetic tunnel junction stack. This fabrication can occur via methods including one or more of (1) heating the substrate after the deposition of a buffer layer on the substrate, prior to deposition of a seed layer; (2) cooling the substrate after the deposition of a second pinning layer, before deposition of a structure blocking layer; (3) heating the substrate during the deposition of a tunnel barrier layer and then cooling it after the deposition of the tunnel barrier layer is complete; (4) heating the substrate after the deposition of a magnetic storage layer on the tunnel barrier layer; and (5) cooling the substrate after the deposition of the magnetic storage layer before a first interlayer of the capping layer is deposited.

A method for etching a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure is described. A stack of MTJ layers on a bottom electrode on a wafer is provided. A metal hard mask layer is provided on the MTJ stack. A stack of multiple dielectric hard masks is formed on the metal hard mask wherein each successive dielectric hard mask has etch selectivity with respect to its underlying and overlying layers. The dielectric hard mask layers are etched in turn selectively with respect to their underlying and overlying layers wherein each successive pattern size is smaller than the preceding pattern size. The MTJ stack is etched selectively with respect to the bottommost combination dielectric and metal hard mask pattern to form a MTJ device having a MTJ pattern size smaller than a bottommost pattern size.

A perpendicular spin orbit torque (SOT) memory device includes an electrode having a spin orbit torque material, where the SOT material includes iridium and manganese and a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) device on a portion of the electrode. The pMTJ device includes a free magnet structure electrode, a fixed layer and a tunnel barrier between the free layer and the fixed layer and a SAF structure above the fixed layer. The IrMn SOT material and the free magnet have an in-plane magnetic exchange bias.

An apparatus comprises a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) including a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a tunnel barrier between the free and fixed layers, the tunnel barrier directly contacting a first side of the free layer, a capping layer contacting the second side of the free magnetic layer and boron absorption layer positioned a fixed distance above the capping layer.